Agreed! We are evaluating Asana and identified this as an issue almost immediately. The parent task can be marked completed, even if the subtasks are not. That can pose some serious issues, especially if there are dependencies tied to the subtasks that are then assumed to be completed.
2 Likes
Good Day
We would like to be notified as soon as this issue has been resolved it is a necessity for our project management.
Sincerely,
Genevieve
Parent tasks should not be able to be marked completed while subtasks are not.
1 Like
Hey @sara.brown, thank you for your great feedback and welcome to the Asana Forum!
I have merged your request with an existing thread on this topic to maximize visibility, please feel free to leave a vote for this thread if you would like!
1 Like
In another topic thread, I proposed an alternate workflow for this situation: Mark subtasks complete when completing parent task. In short, it’s an attempt to solve the same problem, but rather than forcing a sequence, it empowers the user to check off all the subtasks at once (if desired).
In the first reply in that thread, I added some suggestions to improve the behavior described in my original post — namely, a confirmation to make sure users are aware that they are completing multiple subtasks at once. Would be interested in any feedback, yay or nay, on the approach described in that thread (please make those comments there, not here).
1 Like
I actually prefer the variation quoted below on this topic.
I like to use a visual representation of project (boards). When there are sub tasks or even level 2 subtasks in a main task its easy to overlook when you have additional subtasks to take care of before you complete your task as intended.
In other words , its weird to me when you create a task with subtask(s) while you can undermine the whole purpose of a subtask by completing the main task.
1 Like
I’d really like to know if this feedback, approaching 2 years old, is anywhere on Asana’s development roadmap.
Alternatively, i’d be interested in learning how Asana prevents some of the issues expressed here and in similar threads around subtasks for their own internal use case… How do you make sure tasks aren’t marked complete with subtasks not closed out?
2 Likes
Not even with reports it is possible to know which tasks in a project have unfinished subtasks.
This is a big hole in there where a lot of subtasks get lost. Even worse if you forget to manually add a subtask to a project (you will almost never find it)
@Asana, what should we do? Or what can you do? (this request is 2 years old and is elemental)
The current easy solution is to use the Reporting engine of Bridge24 for Asana. Click on any project, include both incomplete and completed tasks, then generate a report that include subtasks with indentation (up to 5 levels). You will be able to identify which tasks are still incomplete under your completed tasks.
I think it’s ok to allow a parent task to be completed while there are pending child tasks. There are times when the child task for instance is merely a follow-up task. An example that I come across frequently is when raising an invoice. Once the invoice is done and sent, I need a subtask for follow-up. The invoicing task is going to be marked as done, but it’s follow-up task is going to be open until payment is received. As long as the subtask has a due date it remains visible outside of the parent task.
I do agree, however, that there is a need to recognize incomplete subtasks. One way to to do this could be adding an indicator next to the parent task that alerts the user to the fact that there are pending subtasks.
I cam here to post this feature request. We have two retail stores and use Asana to set up to-do lists for the stores. Each store will have projects like “Opening Tasks” “Closing Tasks” and there’s a project with tasks for each day of the week as well.
A common task for us is receiving inventory. We’ll create a task in Asana for that with several subtasks like so:
Receive Widget Order
- Verify count against invoice
- Verify invoice matches PO
- Receive PO in Square
- Add hang tags to widgets
-Add size label to widges - Print SKUs for widget
If someone isn’t able to get through the whole task, it’s easy for the next person to see what’s left to be done. And that’s great! But the problem we are having is people accidentally marking the parent task as done. The task then disappears from the project and no one knows there’s still more work to be done on it.
It seems that other people use the subtasks differently and don’t want unfinished subtasks to prevent you from marking the parent task done. So perhaps this could be a setting for the parent task or at least a warning that’s given?
We are starting to rely more and more on subtasks in Asana but are finding that they don’t feel like a fully completed feature. Having more coupling between parent and subtask would be a big a help, even if that coupling was optional.
3 Likes
Flagging my interest here, too!
I am an Asana Solution Partner and many of our customers (~8/10) ask me for a possibility to somehow prevent parent tasks to be completed before subtasks are - or at least be shown a warning pop-up. Many of them use subtasks as “Check lists” - this mentality seems to be a popular usecase for subtasks.
Alternatively, since it does not seem to be an issue of relevance in Asana, we would greatly love the opportunity to alter this via Asanas API! We’d be happy to think about a custom solution, but as of now the API is not allowing to develop a custom solution for the completion of tasks. Correct me please, if somebody knows more than I do here.
Also: Subtasks should be autoadded to the same project as the parent task. After all, I feel like this only makes logical sense.
All the best,
Lena
2 Likes
Have noticed that asana allows to complete the task even without completing the subtasks. It should either not allow or ppbly allow with a warning saying if you complete the task the subtask could get auto completed. Since these subtask are not visible but they reflect in incomplete task of when we use search with filter.
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us @Vinod_Kanted
We already have a thread regarding this topic in the Forum so I’m merging your post with it to consolidate votes. I hope it’s OK!
Thank you again for taking time to reach out in the Forum! Have a great week! 
Sharing my interest in this topic as well.
It definitely would be a big improvement to have this option as a toggle in the user settings.
I do see a use in marking all subtasks done at once when completing the main task, but in my opinion, it doesn’t correspond to a majority of workflows - it should definitely be possible to identify them as mandatory before being allowed to complete the main task.
I wish there was a warning at the very least… In terms and productivity, it’s so easy to complete a task with a lot checkboxes via, say, a keyboard shortcut, without noticing the few boxes left unchecked.
1 Like
Registering my interest in this.
Would be great to have a warning at least if a task is closed without the sub-tasks being completed.
This is my number one request for Asana to have. To me, subtasks are simply the parent task broken down to smaller pieces that together complete what the parent task is set to accomplish. Therefore the parent task really isn’t complete unless the child tasks are complete as well.
We also experience the same issue where there are orphaned subtasks floating out there without a parent task because that task was marked complete but not the subtasks. Obviously, this should be an option on the parent task, a little checkbox to indicate ‘dependent on subtasks’ or similar, with indication to the user that the parent task can’t be completed unless the subtasks are completed.
Would love to hear feedback from Asana if this is something that is being considered at all.
2 Likes
Please implement this. Everyone is asking for it. There really is no reason for a task to be completed without at least a warning that subtasks are incomplete.
2 Likes
Really would like to plea for this, too! With Asana’s great feature of Sections, I have been able to create mini-projects out of tasks & subtasks, so this has become a real need.
Thanks!