# Create tasks

> Capture work as tasks that people can actually pick up and finish.

> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/llms.txt).

Source: https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/guide/cloud/tasks/create-tasks

---
Tasks are the unit of work. Every task belongs to one project and carries an
assignee, status, priority, type and dates.

## Create one

From a project, from **My Work**, or from the board. The only required field is
a title — everything else can follow.

| Field | Why it matters |
| --- | --- |
| **Title** | The one thing everyone reads. Make it an action |
| **Description** | Context, acceptance criteria, links |
| **Assignee** | One person. Unassigned tasks do not move |
| **Status** | Where it is in the workflow |
| **Priority** | Low, medium, high, urgent |
| **Type** | Task, bug, and your own types |
| **Due date** | Drives overdue filters and the calendar |
| **Estimate** | Feeds velocity, workload and budget |
| **Milestone / sprint** | Which delivery point it belongs to |

## Writing a good task

- **Title as an action**: "Fix checkout redirect on mobile Safari" — not "Checkout bug". The reader should know what done looks like from the title alone.

- **Say what done means**: Put acceptance criteria in the description. Most rework comes from an unstated expectation, not a hard problem.

- **One outcome per task**: If the title contains "and", it is probably two tasks — or a parent with [subtasks](https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/guide/cloud/tasks/subtasks-and-dependencies).

- **Include how to reproduce**: For bugs: steps, expected, actual, environment. Without them the first day is spent reconstructing the report.

> **Always assign an owner**
>
> An unassigned task is nobody's job. If you genuinely cannot pick an owner,
> assign it to whoever will decide the owner — not to nobody.

## Priority that means something

Priority only helps if the distribution is honest.

| Priority | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Urgent** | Drop what you are doing |
| **High** | This sprint, before the medium work |
| **Medium** | Normal planned work |
| **Low** | When there is room |

> **Tip**
>
> If more than about one task in ten is urgent, the field has stopped carrying
> information. Re-triage rather than inventing a higher level.

## Bulk creation

Two options when you have a lot to capture at once:

- **Quick-add**: Type titles in sequence, fill in the details afterwards. Best for a planning session where speed matters.

- [Import](https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/guide/cloud/tasks/import-and-export): CSV import on Pro and Premium. Best for migrating from another tool.

## Estimates

Estimates feed velocity, workload and budget. Two rules keep them useful:

- **Be consistent, not accurate.** Consistent estimates make velocity
  predictive even when every individual number is wrong.
- **Estimate before starting.** An estimate written after the work is a record,
  not a forecast.

## Recurring work

For work that repeats on a schedule, set up recurrence rather than remembering
to recreate it. For work that repeats in *shape* — the same five tasks each
release — use a [project template](https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/guide/cloud/projects/project-templates).

## Templates for tasks

If your team writes bug reports or feature requests to a standard shape, put
that structure in the description template so nobody has to remember the format.

- [Next: the task detail](https://helpdesk.orangescrum.com/guide/cloud/tasks/task-details): Everything a task holds once it exists.