Briefly describe (1-2 sentences) the Bug you’re experiencing:
Subtasks don’t work as tasks in this way.
We can add a subtask to another project only by the TAB+P shortcut.
When I try to add a rule like :
It only works with tasks but not with subtasks.
If we can link subtasks in a way, can we also link them with rules please ?
It would be a really nice fix!
Hi @Arnaud_BOUQUIN, thanks for reaching out! As it stands, it’s currently not possible to apply rules on subtasks. You would need to add the subtask to the project. We already have a thread on this topic so I’ve gone ahead and merge your post with the main thread to consolidate feedback. We don’t have any updates yet, but we’ll make sure to update the main thread once we have any news.
We can’t act on subtask with rules.
For example, we can add a subtask to another project by the TAB+P shortcut,
but when I try to add a rule like :
It only works with tasks but not with subtasks.
If we can link subtasks in a way, can we also link them with rules please ?
It would be a really nice fix!
thanks a lot.
I would like a Rule that will generate a subtask so that after x number of days since a task is created, the assignee will have a task to review the request. And then another rule so that 2 days ahead of the due date, they have a subtask to review with our manager. Right now I have to either manually add 2 subtasks for all tasks, set a rule to comment (but they don’t read their inbox), and what I’ve landed on for now - using a recurring task with links to 2 reports with these parameters. If anyone has suggestions for a workaround, I’m all ears.
Just here to say ditto to these ideas. This would seriously help my team’s workflow and cut down on the amount of time spent creating tasks.
Adding to this thread, having subtasks functionality within rules would be great. My example would be to copy a task as a subtask within it.
I use forms for customer recipe submissions and they’re in different languages that I then have translated. Part of the process is to copy the original submission into a subtask so I have reference to the original language, my translators then translate into English for me. It would be great that as a submission comes in it can duplicate the task and add it as a subtask automatically.
We would love to be able to add a subtask (either in name only or a task template) to a task as it moves into the next phase (section) of a project.
That is only possible with Flowsana from @Phil_Seeman at the moment!
Hi @K_Taylor, thanks for taking the time to provide this feedback 
We do have an existing request for this feature in the #productfeedback category already so I’ve gone ahead and merged your post with the existing one to consolidate feedback.
I’ll keep you posted and let you know if we have any updates
Hi @K_Taylor,
As @Bastien_Siebman mentioned, Flowsana has a rule action that adds one or more subtasks from a template. So in your case, you could have a rule like “If a task is moved to the ‘Next Phase’ section, add these subtasks to it.”
I recently asked if there was a way to get workload on product roadmaps and found a work around to get this to happen, but would love to create a rule for my workaround.
In my product roadmap all sub tasks to the roadmap items are the actual tasks to complete them. I’d love to create a rule that anytime a sub-task is added to my roadmap project, it’s automatically added to another project (which I’m using as an input to my portfolio for showing team workload). I can create rules for tasks being added, but not sub-tasks.
Thanks,
Kelley
Subtasks are limited currently throughout Asana.
You can multi-home a task with another project and in doing so, that task will be a parent in that project. Then you can trigger a rule as normal and add to a portfolio for workload.
Subs can be access in Universal Reporting, so this leads me to believe a future state will include them in other areas over time.
Hi @anon13627270, thanks for sharing your feedback with us! We already have a thread on this topic so I’ve gone ahead and merge this post with the main thread to consolidate feedback.
Hi - I understand that subtasks aren’t part of a project so rules from a task don’t apply to them, however…
We use rules in this way.
For onboarding new customers, we create a dedicated project. The project contains tasks, and then we break down the tasks into parts as subtasks under the task.
We have rules that when a customer creates a new task or adds a comment on a task it adds that task into a completely separate project called “Unanswered Questions”. This way, our support and onboarding team has a quick place to see ALL tasks that have been updated or added as opposed to having to go into every single project separately. When they are done answering the question or updating info, they remove it from the “Unanswered Questions” project.
This breaks down when a customer adds a subtask or comments on a subtask. We’d also like these to be automatically added to the “Unanswered Questions” project.
Is there a way to do this?
Hi,
Because subtasks are not part of the project (you said it right), Rules “on a project” can’t apply to them. Otherwise Asana will have to contradict themselves and create specific code. Your only chance is that subtasks are added to a project (or THE project) as well as being a subtask. But I always advise against this kind of solution because it is hard to understand, and you usually forget to multi-home the subtasks…
If the client is allowed to create subtasks, he will never think about multi-homing them…
Have you considered using Sections + Tasks instead to break up your project, instead of Tasks + Subtasks? That would allow you to keep the same workflow and to fully leverage Rules!
We already use sections…
We’re in e-commerce software, so as an example…
And…
I understand that subtasks are NOT part of the project, but I can’t say I understand WHY Asana made this decision. Jira and numerous other platforms have subtasks and they are all part of the project the task belongs to. It seems quite odd and unfortunate.
Here’s my suggestion. Move the client relationship up to the team level and use tasks instead of sub-task. The sub-task can then be used for the detailed actions taken to solve the issue. Ask you clients to submit a form instead of creating a task. Write your form so that it is directed to the right process using the rules. Sub-tasks are a danger zone when relying on process or reporting.
With the recent update to subtasks in mind – is there a possibility that rules will work with subtasks in the (near) future?
Hi there Marie. I’m looking at a similar problem. Can you describe more fully what you are suggesting here? I can’t quite wrap my head around it.
