Tasks

Who can use this feature?

Any Project User with full Planner Access can create Tasks. Task Owners, Assignees and Admins can edit Tasks.

Task Owners and Admins can delete Tasks.

When you add a Task, you can customise its properties to reflect exactly what’s being done, by who, and when, making sure the plan communicates clearly to anyone who needs to see it.

Tasks can store everything from planned resource quantities and work areas to subcontractor assignments and permit requirements. This way, as your plan changes, not only does everything reschedule automatically, but things like resource forecasts, staging diagrams and daily task-lists update on the spot.

Creating Tasks

You can create Tasks from wherever you’re working - from the Gantt, from the Board, or imported from another source. For an easy start, try adding them directly inside your Folder structure.

To create a Task:

On the Gantt, find the Folder where you want the Task to live
Select at the bottom of the group
Your new Task will appear as a line item within that Folder, ready to edit

Task Creation Rules

By default:
- The user who creates the task is set as the Owner
- The Project Default Calendar is automatically applied
- Each task starts with a 1-day duration
- Each new task will be placed on the nearest Monday within your current View
(You can adjust these at any time)

Task Types

There are four Task types that you can create:

Task
Parent Task
Subtask
Milestone

Editing Tasks

Tasks can be edited at any time; whether you're refining the plan, making updates as work progresses, or finalising details for the as-built record. You can update Tasks one by one or in bulk. Let's look at making edits across a selection of Tasks.

To edit multiple Tasks:

Use the to select all Tasks you want to update
Hold Shift on your keyboard to quickly select everything in between
Once selected, the multi-select toolbar will appear at the bottom of the Gantt
Click the to open the list of properties to edit - pick the one you want to change
Select the new value from the list
Click the to confirm. Your update will be applied to all selected Tasks

Task Selection Rules

Subtasks can only be multi-selected with others from the same Parent
You can’t mix Parents and Subtasks in the same selection
You can select any Task in the project
Tasks you don’t have permission to edit will be skipped, and you’ll be notified

After each action, you’ll get a summary of how many tasks were updated or skipped with the option to undo

Drag & Drop Tasks

Drag-and-drop Tasks on the Gantt to easily adjust the start and end dates.

To move a Task Bar:

Hover over the Task Bar on the Gantt
Drag either end of the Task Bar to extend or shorten its Duration
Drag the middle to shift the entire Task forward or backward in time

Creating Parent & Subtasks

Subtasks work just like regular Tasks, with all the same properties, but are nested inside a Parent Task. They’re ideal for breaking down higher-level activities, especially when importing from a Master Schedule, while keeping a clear link back to the source activity.

To breakdown a Task:

Hover over the Task you want to break down
Click
Hover over Add Subtasks
Enter the number of Subtasks you want to create
Click the to confirm
Your Task is now a Parent Task with embedded Subtasks
To add more Subtasks later, click directly under the Parent Task

Inherited Parent & Subtask Properties

Parents & Subtasks will always have the same:

Owner
External ID (often mapped from the P6 Activity ID)

Package
Folder

If one of these Properties are edited, this update will automatically apply to the Parent and all its Subtasks.

All other Task Properties can be individually allocated to Subtasks.

Parent Task Bar & Dates

Parent Start Date = Start date of the earliest visible Subtask

Parent End Date = End date of the latest visible Subtask

These values update automatically when filters or date range settings are applied.

See more about

Subtasks can only go one level deep (Parent → Subtask). If you need more structure, it's best to use Subfolders to build out your plan.

Moving Subtasks to a Different Parent Task

Subtasks can be moved from one Parent Task to another, as long as a few conditions are met.

To move a Subtask:

Click the column picker towards the top left of the Gantt
Toggle on the Parent column
Click into the cell for the Subtask you want to move
Select the new Parent Task from the list
The Subtask will move under the selected Parent

Requirements for Moving Subtasks

The destination Parent Task must already be broken down (with at least one Subtask)

Both Parent Tasks must be Owned by the same User

Duplicating Tasks

To duplicate multiple Tasks:

Use the to select all Tasks you want to duplicate
Hold Shift on your keyboard to quickly select everything in between
Once selected, the multi-select toolbar will appear at the bottom of the Gantt
Click to duplicate all selected Tasks

To duplicate an individual Task:

Hover over the Task Name
Select
Select Duplicate

Duplicated Task Rules

Tasks can be duplicated by any User who holds a Task Role
All Task properties will be duplicated automatically, excluding:
- Progress Updates
- Comments
- Documents
- Milestone History
- Material Actuals
All Relationship Links between the duplicated Tasks will be duplicated

Deleting Tasks

To delete multiple Tasks:

Use the to select all Tasks you want to delete
Hold Shift on your keyboard to quickly select everything in between
Once selected, the multi-select toolbar will appear at the bottom of the Gantt
Select
Click Delete Tasks to delete all selected Tasks

To delete an individual Task:

Hover over the Task Name
Select
Select Delete Task

Deleting Tasks Rules

Deleted tasks can’t be restored unless you undo the action during the same session
Only the Task Owner, an Owner Delegate, or a Project Admin can delete a Task

Copying Tasks Between Projects

If you have multiple Aphex Projects, you may want to move Tasks & assets from one to another. We'll show you how.

To Copy Tasks into a different Project:

Use the to select all Tasks you want to copy
Hold Shift on your keyboard to quickly select everything in between
Once selected, the multi-select toolbar will appear at the bottom of the Gantt
Click the and select Copy to an Aphex Project
Pick an existing Project or create a new one
Select whether to copy all Task Properties or pick from a custom list
Review the 'Copy Task Summary' and Click
Open the destination project: your tasks will be waiting on the Gantt

Copying Tasks Rules

Links between selected Tasks will always be copied across
Task history (the activity log & progress updates) will not be copied over
If you do not select a property to be copied, a default option will be applied to the property
Copied Assets will match to existing Assets (if the Name or Code matches), otherwise new Assets will be created in the destination Project
Tasks can only be moved into Projects within the same Organisation

Task Panel

You can open a Task from anywhere; Gantt, Map, Board, or List View. Just click the task to open the full Task Panel, right on top of your current view so you won’t lose your place. Reorder the panel sections to keep the most relevant info where you need it.

To open a Task from the Gantt:

Right-click any Task and select View Details
The Task Panel will open

To open a Task from Map

Click any Task Card from the section on the left hand-side
Or, click the Work Area on the Map and then the icon
The Task Panel will open

To open a Task from Board

Click any Task Card on Board
The Task Panel will open

To open a Task from List

Click the name of any Task in your List
The Task Panel will open

Task Panel Preferences

The Task Panel is made up of sections that can be collapsed or reordered
Drag and drop sections to arrange them however you like
Your custom layout is saved to your user - it stays consistent across all Projects and Views, including Mobile
The layout will apply every time you open a task, until you change it again
There are different task panel layouts for Tasks, Parent Tasks, and Packages