Reference numbers for tasks

Just wanted to add another voice to this request. Weā€™re considering expanding our use of Asana, but lack of reference numbers for tasks is a significant drawback. I know Asana would like to help us all during this period of widespread remote work, and it sure would speed things along if we could tell people on the call that ā€œweā€™re going to focus for a few minutes on task 459888ā€ rather than ā€œgo to the Backlog section and look for the task that says ā€˜Review stakeholder request for column sorting . . . the one thatā€™s assigned to Leah . . . with priority set to High . . . due on May 10ā€™ā€. I really like Zendeskā€™s method of numbering and searching. I can set my own start number (tied to my zendesk account/domain) and that helps a) reference numbers stay reasonably short, and b) gives me a quick idea of approximately how old the task is. And lastly, it would be GREAT to have the task reference number as a sortable column in my project view - WOW! Thanks, Mark.

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@Asana Developers: is there any feedback as to whether this will ever be implemented? It seems like a no-brainer, though I imagine there is a lot to consider in terms of design and implementation. Where is it at though? Where does this feature request sit on the spectrum from ā€œnot going to ever happenā€ to ā€œdeployment is scheduled for Xā€ ? The https://www.projectprocs.com/post/asana-task-numbering option is probably the best alternative solution Iā€™ve seen, but I would really prefer to use a native method (for a number of reasons). Is this a possibility?

Hi AJD,

Itā€™s been 2 years since I started this thread. I think the answer is, ā€œWe do not care about it, so forget it.ā€ as nothing has been done or even hinted about.

Thanks for keeping this alive though.

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Hi Phil,

YES, Iā€™m interested! I am looking for a way to automatically add a number to a task name using Asana forms.
I have been trying to use Zapier, but it is not working for me. I was given instructions by someone at Asana, but unfortunately I keep getting an error. This approach requires creating a Javascript code which I know nothing about (Iā€™m not a coder) so when I get the errors I donā€™t know how to fix them.

I would really appreciate your help. If you have instructions/steps on how to set up the zap using youā€™re method please let me know.

Thanks!!
Martha

Yep, here it is (no Javascript required):

HI @Phil_Seeman,
Thanks so much. I havenā€™t had a chance to try it yet, but I definitely will soon! I hope this works and that I wonā€™t have anymore questions. But if I do, I hope you donā€™t mind if I reach out again.

Thanks again,
Martha Hoffmann

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Hi Mark!

If you are open to using 3rd party services you can check out Astogi.com, it has been developed specifically to solve this specific problem that we are having too. Short and unique IDs per task is really something that is needed, especially when developing software.

I am not sure if promoting a 3rd party integration is allowed, but since Asana made it clear that they arenā€™t integrating this I think this wonā€™t be an issue. If you have any question, please let us know! :slight_smile:

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Any updates on this ? Further ASANA allows duplciating tasks but it also duplicates the task ID hence no longer a ā€˜uniqueā€™ identifying and defeating the purpose and the need for a unique identifying in the first placeā€¦seems no value in also duplicating task idā€¦can you guys update so every tasks, parent or sub-tasks or sub, sub-tasks is unique, pleaseā€¦

This is not the case; every task has a unique ID. What are you seeing that leads you to think otherwise?

I finally published my list of cool Zaps, so if anyone wants to share their solution using Zapier to this problem, make sure to reach out iDO Tools - Improve Asana with our tools and automations

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I use an algorithm that starts at JotForm, converts it to Asana Task under the selected project, and Zapier triggers some info into ZOHO Invoice for billing, once some action gets done. Iā€™ve been trying to drop JotForm for Google Forms, or deraming Asana could integrate a numbering system, with the flexibility to adapt to our systems. The sequential numbering youā€™ve been asking about, is would be a great addition to Asana. Iā€™ll center more this app.

I am voting with you for Iā€™d really love to have a proper search for IDs, too.

At the same time I must admit just entering the task ID into the search bar without hitting the Enter key and then following the autosuggest to the actual result works for me in most use cases, too. Just not as comfortable or intuitive as it could be. Most often I need to explain to clients. But as far as my team is concerned, everybody has gotten used to just not hitting Enter. :sweat_smile:

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I read through the ā€œHottest feature requestā€¦ā€ post in Can a Task have an automatic assigned ID number? but Iā€™m not seeing how F9 relates the problem. Why doesnā€™t Asana just add the feature everyone here is requesting? Iā€™m sure many of us here are developers with lotā€™s of experience developing apps like Asana, but Iā€™m, and Iā€™m sure any other webapp developers here, at a loss why this isnā€™t a trivial feature to add (Actually, I donā€™t like calling it a feature; itā€™s actually a bug imo). Sorry for not posting this in Can a Task have an automatic assigned ID number?, but it told me I couldnā€™t because I already made 3 replies.

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Hi all,

I just wanted to mention that you can now easily create unique Short ID numbers, and/or Short URL links, in my Flowsana integration. See this post for more info:

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This is a really frustrating deficiency in Asana. I cannot recommend Asana to any product team because of this.

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Hi Scott, I totally hear you. I started this post 3 years ago and it is still a hot topic that Asana chooses to ignore. Why? They donā€™t listen even though they say they do. We are too invested with tens of thousands of tasks now that we can easily change to another system. Hindsight, I would have never picked Asana because of this one flaw.

Asana, listen up! Get ID numbers for tasks inside the task, not just in the address bar. What do you think this is, the 90s?!

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Listening does not mean doing everything people ask :slight_smile: but I donā€™t want to start a debate, just wanted to clarify.

Bastien, point taken. I am sure they have listened a lot. This post is so long I can not see if they ever answered why they wonā€™t entertain the idea of reference numbers. I see other posts that have more votes than mine that are asking for the same thing.

I guess we need closure, at least I do, on why this has not been considered.

They have a ā€œstrategyā€ which is usually to not answer to those threads, and one day they say ā€œit is doneā€. If you start giving hints on the roadmap, it is harder to change it. I was actually curious so I studied the competition and most of them donā€™t communicate on the roadmap either šŸ—ŗ Public roadmap: how does Asana compare with its competitors?

Donā€™t get me wrong: Iā€™d love for them to comment whether or not they intend on doing it. When it is really not on the roadmap, they usually say soā€¦

Hi Bastien, thanks for that link for that roadmap. I read it and makes sense since they need to see the need than just, ā€œI want reference numbers!ā€ Funny thing is long time ago in this post I did do that, so I am bringing back my time capsule of this reply to a case study:

Hi Jeff,

Since Asana likes case studies, here we goā€¦

I was recently in a board room with my team and developers. I was heading it with Asana on the main screen.

Me: Ok, letā€™s talk about this task. I need everybody to go to it. It is in the Enhancement Board 2018
Ana: In which column?
Me: It is in the In Progress column about half way down.
Vesta: I still canā€™t find it.
Me: Wait a sec, there is a task reference number up here. (I point to the URL).
Peter (Head Developer): It wonā€™t come up.
Me: Sorry, you canā€™t search for it in the search box.
Peter: Are you serious?
Me: You have to type the whole url string into a browser for it to show up.
Peter: Really?! Who designed this?
Me: Sorry everybody, hang on I will create a conversation in the project and send you the URL.
Vesta: I still donā€™t have it.
Me: Sorry, Vesta, I forgot to include you. Here you go. Ok, everybody got that now?
Team: People nodding somewhat miffed .
Me: Ok, this task relates to another in a different project that we started in 2017. So I will have to send that url to you now.
Team: Hugh sighs.

In hopefully a not to distant futureā€¦

Me: Ok, letā€™s talk about this task. The reference number is 208125469. Just type that in the search box on top. Everybody got that? Awesome letā€™s get going.

Jeff, I hope that explains the need.

Erik

So Bastien, that is my case for it for what it is worth. Thanks for the input to this thread.

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