Add Option to Auto-Add Collaborators When @Mentioned in Comments

English Forum Product Feedback
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The UX change requiring users to manually select collaborators after @mentioning them in a comment has introduced friction for power users and keyboard-driven workflows. Previously, @mentioning someone was intuitive—they were notified and could easily follow the task. Now, the extra step often causes missed comments because the collaborator selection box is small and easy to overlook, leading to situations where comments remain unposted. This issue is further aggravated by inconsistent behavior: in some private projects, the selection is mandatory before posting, while in others, a simple “Tab + Enter” submits the comment without interruption. To resolve this, a default selection option must exist.

Why This Matters:

  • Efficiency: Extra clicks slow down task updates and disrupt flow for users who manage large projects or communicate frequently via comments.
  • Accessibility: Keyboard-first users may not notice the collaborator box, leading to incomplete actions and missed notifications.
  • Consistency: If I @mention someone, it’s usually because I want them involved. Having to confirm this every time feels redundant.

Proposed Solution:

  • Add a workspace-level or user-level setting:
    • “Automatically add collaborators when @mentioned in comments.”
  • Alternatively, allow project-level rules to dynamically add collaborators based on @mentions (not just fixed names).

Benefits:

  • Improves speed and reduces cognitive load for frequent commenters.
  • Ensures important stakeholders don’t miss updates due to overlooked collaborator prompts.
  • Aligns with Asana’s goal of streamlining collaboration.
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Thanks for adding this, @Steven_Smith.

Don’t forget to click the title to scroll to the top and vote by clicking the Vote button; that’s the quickest and most effective way to express your support for a request.

Larry

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Hi,
I agree — I understand the idea behind adding a confirmation step before someone is added as a collaborator when they are @mentioned. However, I’m concerned about how this affects rules.

I use rules that add comments including @mentions to ensure certain people are informed in their Inbox and automatically added to the task. This no longer works.

Is there any chance Asana will fix this issue in rule behavior? When creating rules that include comments with @mentions, there should be an option to choose whether the mentioned people are added as collaborators and receive the notification.

Right now, I can create a separate rule to add them as collaborators, but they only receive a notification that they were added to the task — not the actual comment, which defeats the purpose.