Tasks (FREE)

• Introduced in GitLab 14.5 with a flag named work_items. Disabled by default.
• Creating, editing, and deleting tasks introduced in GitLab 15.0.
• Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed in GitLab 15.3.

Known limitation:

• Tasks currently cannot be accessed via REST API.

For the latest updates, check the Tasks Roadmap.

FLAG: On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature, ask an administrator to disable the feature flags named work_items and work_items_hierarchy. On GitLab.com, this feature is available.

Use tasks to track steps needed for the issue to be closed.

When planning an issue, you need a way to capture and break down technical requirements or steps necessary to complete it. An issue with related tasks is better defined, and so you can provide a more accurate issue weight and completion criteria.

Tasks are a type of work item, a step towards default issue types in GitLab. For the roadmap of migrating issues and epics to work items and adding custom work item types, visit epic 6033 or Plan direction page.

View tasks

View tasks in issues, in the Tasks section.

You can also filter the list of issues for Type = task.

Create a task

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Guest role for the project, or the project must be public.

To create a task:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select Add.
2. Enter the task title.
3. Select Create task.

Edit a task

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To edit a task:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the task you want to edit. The task window opens.
2. Optional. To edit the title, select it and make your changes.
3. Optional. To edit the description, select the edit icon ({pencil}), make your changes, and select Save.
4. Select the close icon ({close}).

Remove a task from an issue

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

You can remove a task from an issue. The task is not deleted, but the two are no longer connected. It's not possible to connect them again.

To remove a task from an issue:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, next to the task you want to remove, select the options menu ({ellipsis_v}).
2. Select Remove task.

Delete a task

Prerequisites:

• You must either:
  • Be the author of the task and have at least the Guest role for the project.
  • Have the Owner role for the project.

To delete a task:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the task you want to edit.
2. In the task window, in the options menu ({ellipsis_v}), select Delete task.
3. Select OK.

Assign users to a task

Introduced in GitLab 15.4.

To show who is responsible for a task, you can assign users to it.

Users on GitLab Free can assign one user per task. Users on GitLab Premium and higher can assign multiple users to a single task. See also multiple assignees for issues.

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

To change the assignee on a task:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the title of the task you want to edit. The task window opens.
2. Next to Assignees, select Add assignees.
3. From the dropdown list, select the user(s) to add as an assignee.
4. Select any area outside the dropdown list.

Set a start and due date

Introduced in GitLab 15.4 with a flag named work_items_mvc_2. Disabled by default.

FLAG: On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available, ask an administrator to enable the feature flag named work_items_mvc_2. On GitLab.com, this feature is not available. This feature is not ready for production use.

You can set a start and due date on a task.

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

You can set start and due dates on a task to show when work should begin and end.

To set a due date:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the title of the task you want to edit. The task window opens.
2. If the task already has a due date next to Due date, select it. Otherwise, select Add due date.
3. In the date picker, select the desired due date.

To set a start date:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the title of the task you want to edit. The task window opens.

2. If the task already has a start date next to Start date, select it. Otherwise, select Add start date.

3. In the date picker, select the desired due date.

   The due date must be the same or later than the start date. If you select a start date to be later than the due date, the due date is then changed to the same day.

Set task weight (PREMIUM)

Introduced in GitLab 15.3.

Prerequisites:

• You must have at least the Reporter role for the project.

You can set weight on each task to show how much work it needs. This value is visible only when you view a task.

To set issue weight of a task:

1. In the issue description, in the Tasks section, select the title of the task you want to edit. The task window opens.
2. Next to Weight, enter a whole, positive number.
3. Select the close icon ({close}).