Dependency Mapping

Asana Community Ask the Community
,
1

Hi Team,

I have created a generic project template for one of my clients, which is used whenever a new request is received. The request is converted into a project using this template, and the predefined tasks, dependencies, and workflow are carried over automatically.

The challenge I’m facing is with task dependencies. In the generic template, some tasks are marked as dependent on other tasks. However, depending on the specific request, there may be cases where one or two of these tasks are not required and need to be deleted.

For example:

Task A → Task B → Task C

If Task B is not required and is deleted, Task C loses its dependency. Ideally, I would like the dependency to automatically update to:

Task A → Task C

So essentially, I’m looking for a way to automatically skip/remove an unnecessary task while preserving the dependency chain by linking the dependent task to the deleted task’s predecessor.

Is there any native functionality, rule, automation, or workaround in Asana that can achieve this? If not, is there a recommended way to structure the template or dependency logic so that removing an optional task does not break the overall dependency flow?

Any guidance on the best approach would be helpful.

2

@Bhumika_Bihani,

If it were me (or my client), I’d just recommend making Task C be dependent on both Task B and on Task A as well. No harm if Task B stays. And solves the problem when you need to delete Task B.

Thanks,

Larry

3

If Task B is genuinely optional, I’d avoid making the dependency chain depend on B being present.

A simpler setup would be:

Task A → Task C

and treat Task B as an optional step between them when needed.

If B is included, you can still make C dependent on B. But if B is removed, C should fall back to A rather than leaving a broken dependency.

If this is happening across many projects, I’d also consider whether the template can be simplified so the optional step is handled separately instead of building conditional dependencies into the main workflow.

4

It is not fixed which steps need to be deleted. Once the project is created, the unnecessary steps are identified and deleted based on the project requirements.