How to assign and track tasks

Tasks are short follow-up items you attach to a client, each with a description, a due date, and a status. You can create them from a client record or from the **Tasks** page, then track what is still open or already overdue from one list.

### Overview

Tasks live in the **Clients** area of eCourtDate, so the **Tasks** page sits in the same tab strip as **Clients**, **Contacts**, **Comments**, and the other client records. A task stores a description, a status, an optional due date, an optional client, and an optional flow.

Every task carries one of six statuses: **open**, **closed**, **pending**, **in progress**, **review**, and **completed**. The **Tasks** page highlights any row whose due date has passed while its status is still something other than **completed** or **closed**, so overdue work stands out without running a separate report.

Tasks do not have an assignee field. eCourtDate records who created each task in the **Creator** column, and you can filter the list by that person.

### Prerequisites

Before you create and track tasks, make sure you have:

- An active eCourtDate account with access to your agency
- A role that lets you view and edit records in the **Clients** area
- A client record, if you want the task attached to a client (tasks can also be saved with no client)

### How-To Steps

#### Create a task from a client record

1. Click **Clients** in the top navigation.
2. Click the **Edit** button on the row for the client you want.
3. Scroll to the **Assigned Tasks** card.
4. Click the plus button in the top right of that card to open the form.
5. Enter the task in the **New Task** field.
6. Adjust the **Due Date**, which pre-fills to 30 days from today.
7. Click **Create Task**.

#### Create a task from the Tasks page

1. Go to **Clients** > **Tasks**.
2. Search for a client in the client search box at the top of the left column to attach the new task to that client (skip this step for a task with no client).
3. Enter the task in the **Description** field of the **Create Task** card.
4. Select a **Status**.
5. Set a **Due Date**.
6. Click **Create**.

#### Find and filter tasks

1. Go to **Clients** > **Tasks**.
2. Click **All**, **open**, **closed**, **pending**, **in progress**, **review**, or **completed** above the table to filter by status.
3. Enter a term in the **Search** field to narrow the list.
4. Select a person in the **Creator** dropdown to see only the tasks they created.
5. Check **Archived** or **Trashed** in the **Search Tasks** card to view tasks that were archived or trashed.
6. Click **Search**.
7. Click **Load more** below the table to pull the next page of results.

#### Update a task

1. Select a new value in the **Status** dropdown on a task row to change its status without leaving the list.
2. Click the **Edit** button on the row to open the **Edit Task** page.
3. Revise the wording in the **Task Content** editor.
4. Change the **Due Date** if the deadline moved.
5. Select a **Flow** to link the task to a task flow.
6. Select a **Status**.
7. Click **Save**.
8. Click **Close** to return to the **Tasks** page.

#### Attach or change the client on a task

1. Open the task from the **Tasks** page.
2. Click **Change** on the client card if a client is already attached.
3. Enter a name or reference in the client search box and click **Search**.
4. Click **Attach** next to the correct client.
5. Click **Detach** to remove the client from the task.

#### Set task defaults for your agency

1. Go to **Admin** > **Settings**.
2. Click **Tasks** in the settings section list.
3. Enter a number in **Default Task Due Date** and choose **Days** or **Months**.
4. Select **Open**, **Pending**, or **In Progress** for **Default Task Status**.
5. Click **Save**.

### What to Expect

A task created from a client record appears at the top of the **Assigned Tasks** card right away with a "Task created" confirmation. That card lists the five most recent tasks for the client, and **View all tasks** opens the **Tasks** page filtered to that client.

On the **Tasks** page, a new task appears at the top of the table and the total count increases. Changing the **Status** dropdown on a row saves immediately and shows a "Task status updated" confirmation. Attaching or detaching a client on the **Edit Task** page also saves right away.

Rows turn red on the **Tasks** page once the due date has passed and the status is not **completed** or **closed**, and the due date itself renders in bold red. Clicking the status badge on a client record toggles that task between **completed** and **open**.

The **Edit Task** page keeps an **Audit Logs** card, and the **Tools** dropdown there offers **Archive**, **Restore**, and **Trash**. Archived and trashed tasks stay out of the default list until you check **Archived** or **Trashed**. You can export the current list with the **PDF** and **CSV** buttons above the table.

Your **Default Task Due Date** and **Default Task Status** settings pre-fill the **Create Task** form on the **Tasks** page. The form on the client record always starts at 30 days out.

### Best Practices

- **Write the description so it stands alone.** Anyone opening the **Tasks** page sees only the first 80 characters in the table, so lead with the action and the reference.
- **Set a due date on every task.** Overdue highlighting depends on **Due Date**, so a task without one never surfaces as late.
- **Close out finished work.** Move a task to **completed** or **closed** so it drops out of the overdue highlighting and stops competing for attention.
- **Set your agency defaults once.** **Default Task Due Date** and **Default Task Status** under **Admin** > **Settings** > **Tasks** keep new tasks consistent across your team.
- **Use the Creator filter for a per person view.** Tasks have no assignee, so filtering by **Creator** is how you see one person's tasks.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Can I assign a task to a specific staff member?**

A: No. A task attaches to a client, not to a user. eCourtDate records who made the task in the **Creator** column, and you can filter the **Tasks** page by **Creator** to see one person's tasks.

**Q: Does every task need a client?**

A: No. A task created from the **Tasks** page with no client selected saves with an empty **Client** column. You can attach a client later from the task's **Edit Task** page.

**Q: What are the available task statuses?**

A: **open**, **closed**, **pending**, **in progress**, **review**, and **completed**. You can set the status inline from the **Status** dropdown in the table or on the **Edit Task** page.

**Q: Can I change a task's due date after creating it?**

A: Yes. Open the task, update **Due Date**, and click **Save**.

**Q: Where do archived and trashed tasks go?**

A: They stay in the system but drop out of the default list. Check **Archived** or **Trashed** in the **Search Tasks** card, then click **Search** to see them, and use **Restore** to bring one back.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** No button appears to save a new task on the client record.

**Symptoms:** You opened the form in the **Assigned Tasks** card, but there is nothing to click after the **New Task** and **Due Date** fields.

**Solution:**

1. Enter text in the **New Task** field. The **Create Task** button stays hidden until that field has content.
2. Click **Create Task**.

**Issue:** The client record shows fewer tasks than you expect.

**Symptoms:** The **Assigned Tasks** card lists five tasks even though the count above it is higher.

**Solution:**

1. Click **View all tasks** at the bottom of the card.
2. Review the full list on the **Tasks** page, which opens filtered to that client.

**Issue:** The **Flow** dropdown is empty on the **Edit Task** page.

**Symptoms:** A message reads "No task flows found." in place of any options.

**Solution:**

1. Click **Create a flow** in that message.
2. Select **task** in the **Type** dropdown and click **Create**.
3. Return to the task and select the new flow in the **Flow** dropdown.

**Issue:** A task you created is missing from the **Tasks** page.

**Symptoms:** The list loads, but the task you just made is not in it.

**Solution:**

1. Click **All** above the table to clear any status filter.
2. Clear the **Search** field and the **Creator** dropdown, then click **Search**.
3. Check **Archived** and then **Trashed** in the **Search Tasks** card, clicking **Search** each time, in case the task was archived or trashed.

### Related Articles

- [How to Manage Clients](/how-to-manage-clients)
- [How to Assign Tasks via Bulk Actions](/how-to-assign-tasks-via-bulk-actions)
- [How to Create a Flow](/how-to-create-a-flow)
- [How to add notes and comments to records](/how-to-add-notes-and-comments-to-records)