Creating and Managing Tasks

Tasks are the fundamental units of work in Verk. This guide covers everything you need to know about creating, editing, and managing tasks effectively.

Quick Task Creation

The fastest way to create a task is using the quick create feature.

Detailed Task Creation

For tasks that need more context upfront, use the detailed creation form.

Voice Input Task Creation

Create tasks hands-free using speech-to-text.

Calendar Task Creation

Create tasks directly from the calendar view with pre-filled dates.

Task Properties Explained

Title

The task title should clearly state what needs to be done. Use action verbs and be specific.

Good titles:

• "Update homepage copy for Q1 campaign"
• "Fix login bug on Safari browser"
• "Review and approve marketing budget"

Avoid:

• "Homepage" (too vague)
• "Bug" (not specific enough)
• "Meeting" (no clear outcome)

Description

Task descriptions support rich text formatting with the following features:

Text Formatting

• Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
• Headings (H1, H2, H3)
• Bullet lists and numbered lists
• Block quotes

Rich Content

• Hyperlinks to external resources
• Inline code and code blocks with syntax highlighting
• Tables for structured data
• Embedded images

Collaboration

• @mentions to notify team members
• Task links using the # symbol

Example description:

# Design new homepage layout

## Objective

Create a mobile-first homepage that increases conversion rates by 20%.

## Requirements

- [ ] Mobile responsive design (375px to 1440px)
- [ ] A/B testing setup with analytics
- [ ] Performance score above 90
- [ ] WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility compliance

## Resources

- [Brand guidelines](https://example.com/brand)
- [User research findings](https://example.com/research)

@designer - please review wireframes before handoff
@developer - timeline estimate needed

Status

Tasks move through standard workflow stages:

• Todo: Task is ready to be worked on
• In Progress: Work has started
• In Review: Task is being reviewed or approved
• Done: Task is complete
• Cancelled: Task is no longer needed

Priority

Priority levels help focus on what matters most:

• High: Urgent work that needs immediate attention (red indicator)
• Medium: Important work with normal urgency (yellow indicator)
• Low: Nice-to-have work that can wait (blue indicator)
• None: No specific priority assigned

Priority can be changed at any time and is visible in all task views.

Assignees

Tasks can be assigned to:

• Team Members: Assign to one or more colleagues
• AI Agents: Delegate work to configured AI agents
• Unassigned: Leave unassigned for team members to claim

Dates

Tasks support two date fields:

Start Date

• When work should begin
• Optional field
• Useful for planning and scheduling
• Can be used in calendar view

Due Date

• Deadline for task completion
• Optional but recommended
• Triggers reminder notifications
• Highlighted in calendar and list views

Project Association

Link tasks to projects for organization:

• Select a project during task creation
• Tasks inherit project settings and custom fields
• View all project tasks in one place
• Move tasks between projects anytime

Pin Tasks

Mark important tasks as pinned (favorites):

• Pinned tasks appear at the top of lists
• Quick access to frequently referenced tasks
• Personal preference - doesn't affect other team members
• Toggle on/off anytime

Adding Attachments

Tasks support file attachments to provide context and resources.

Upload Methods

Drag and Drop

1. Open the task
2. Drag files from your computer into the task detail panel
3. Files upload automatically and appear in the attachments section

File Browser

1. Click the attachment icon (paperclip)
2. Browse and select files from your computer
3. Click "Open" to upload

From Comments

1. Add a comment to the task
2. Click the attachment icon in the comment toolbar
3. Upload files that appear with the comment

Supported File Types

• Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT, RTF
• Spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX, CSV
• Presentations: PPT, PPTX
• Images: PNG, JPG, GIF, SVG, WEBP
• Archives: ZIP, RAR, 7Z
• Code: JS, TS, PY, JAVA, and more

File Management

• Preview: Click files to preview without downloading
• Download: Download individual files or all attachments as a ZIP
• Delete: Remove attachments you no longer need
• Organize: Attachments are automatically organized by upload date

Task Comments and Collaboration

Comments enable team discussion and updates on tasks.

Adding Comments

1. Open the task
2. Scroll to the comments section
3. Type your comment in the text field
4. Use the formatting toolbar for rich text
5. Click "Comment" or press Cmd/Ctrl + Enter to post

Comment Features

Mentions

• Type @ followed by a team member's name
• They receive an instant notification
• Use @mentions to request input or assign action items

Reactions

• Click the reaction icon on any comment
• Add emoji reactions for quick feedback
• See who reacted to each comment

Editing and Deleting

• Edit your own comments anytime
• Delete comments if needed
• Edits are marked with "edited" indicator

File Attachments in Comments

• Attach files directly to comments
• Useful for providing additional context
• Files appear inline with the comment

Comment Notifications

Team members are notified when:

• They are @mentioned in a comment
• Someone comments on a task they're assigned to
• They're watching a task with new comments
• An AI agent posts automated updates

Keyboard Shortcuts

Work faster with these task creation shortcuts:

Advanced Task Creation

Duplicate Tasks

Create copies of existing tasks to reuse structure and content:

1. Open the task you want to duplicate
2. Click the three-dot menu (...)
3. Select "Duplicate"
4. Choose whether to include:
   • Due dates
   • Assignees
   • Attachments
   • Comments
5. Click "Duplicate Task"

The new task is created with a copy of all selected properties.

Task Templates

Save task structures for recurring work:

1. Create a task with all required fields and description
2. Click the three-dot menu
3. Select "Save as Template"
4. Name your template
5. Choose template visibility (personal or team-wide)

Use templates by:

1. Click "Create Task"
2. Select "From Template"
3. Choose your template
4. Customize the new task as needed

Recurring Tasks

Set tasks to repeat on a schedule:

1. Create or open a task
2. Click "Recurrence" in the task properties
3. Enable recurrence
4. Choose frequency:
   • Daily (every N days)
   • Weekly (specific days of the week)
   • Monthly (specific day of month)
5. Set start date and optional end date

New task instances are created automatically based on your schedule.

Email to Task

Create tasks by forwarding emails to Verk:

Advanced email features:

• Add #projectname in subject to assign to specific project
• Add @username to assign to team members
• Use priority:high to set priority level

Best Practices

Task Title Guidelines

Do:

• Start with action verbs (Create, Update, Review, Fix)
• Be specific about the outcome
• Keep under 60 characters
• Include key details in title

Don't:

• Use vague titles like "Update" or "Fix bug"
• Include unnecessary details (put in description)
• Use all caps or excessive punctuation

When to Add Descriptions

Add descriptions when:

• Task needs context or background
• Multiple steps are involved
• Links to resources are needed
• Success criteria aren't obvious from title

Organizing New Tasks

• Always assign a project for better organization
• Set due dates for time-sensitive work
• Add priority to help with daily planning
• Assign owners for accountability
• Use labels/tags for easy filtering

File Attachment Tips

• Attach reference materials before assigning
• Use descriptive filenames
• Keep file sizes reasonable
• Remove outdated attachments regularly

Common Task Creation Workflows

Personal Task Capture

1. Use quick create (Cmd/Ctrl + K)
2. Enter task title
3. Set due date if time-sensitive
4. Assign to yourself
5. Add to personal project

Team Assignment

1. Use detailed creation form
2. Fill in complete description
3. Attach relevant files
4. Set realistic due date
5. Assign to team member
6. Add to project
7. Set appropriate priority

Client Work

1. Create task from template
2. Fill in client-specific custom fields
3. Attach client requirements
4. Set timeline with start and due dates
5. Assign to account manager
6. Link to client project

Troubleshooting

Task not saving

• Check for required fields
• Ensure you have permission to create tasks in the project
• Verify file attachments aren't too large
• Check your internet connection

Can't assign to team member

• Verify they're a member of the organization
• Check they have access to the project
• Ensure their account is active

Voice input not working

• Grant browser microphone permissions
• Check microphone is not muted
• Try a different browser
• Use a headset in noisy environments

Next Steps

Now that you know how to create tasks, explore:

• Task Views - Learn different ways to visualize and organize tasks
• Custom Fields - Extend tasks with project-specific data
• Bulk Operations - Manage multiple tasks efficiently
• Projects - Organize tasks into projects