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Custom task types

Create your own unique building blocks for your work with custom task types. Whether you track contacts, campaigns, or user stories, you can create custom items as unique as the work you track.

What you'll need

  • Task types are available on all ClickUp plans.
    • Free Forever: 20 uses (tasks that are set to a different type)
    • Unlimited and above: unlimited uses
  • Only admins and owners can create and edit task types.
  • Guests cannot create or edit task types.
  • Anyone with Full or Edit permissions for the task can change the custom task type on a task. Milestones are a custom task type.

Create a task type

To create a task type, you need to be an admin or owner.

To create a task type:

  1. Go to your Workspace settings. 
  2. Click Settings.
  3. In the left sidebar, click Task Types.
  4. On the Task Types page, in the upper-right corner, click + Create Task Type.
  5. In the creation modal, set the following fields:
    • Icon: This icon will be used in place of the status icon.
    • Singular & plural name: These names will be used at various points in the UI.
    • Description: Add a short description to give context to what the task type will be used for.
  6. Click Create Task Type to save your new task type.

Screenshot of the create task type modal.

Limits

  • You can create a maximum of 50 task types.
  • Maximum task type name characters: 16
  • Maximum task type description characters: 100

Assign a task type

Once you create a custom task type, you can update any existing tasks to use it. Guests are not able to change task types.

Using task view:

  1. Open a task.
  2. In the upper-left corner of the task window, find the current task type.
  3. Click the name of the task type to open the Task Type menu.
  4. Select a new task type.

Using the task context menu:

  1. Right-click on a task to open the task context menu.
  2. Click Task Types.
  3. Select a new task type.

Via the task quick-create modal:

  1. Launch the quick create task modal.
  2. At the top of the modal, find the existing task type.
  3. Click on the task type to bring up the change type menu.
  4. Select a new task type.

Edit a task type

You need to be an admin or owner to edit task types.

To edit a task type:
  1. Go to your Workspace settings.
  2. Find the task type you want to delete, and click the ellipsis ... to the right of the task name.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Make any changes.
  5. Click Save.
  6. Your changes will apply to any existing tasks and future tasks.

Delete a task type

You need to be an admin or owner to delete task types.

This action can't be undone. Once you delete a task type, you can't restore it.

  1. Go to your Workspace settings.
  2. Click Settings.
  3. In the left sidebar, click Task Types.
  4. Find the task type you want to delete, and click the ellipsis ... to the right of the task name.
  5. Click Delete.
  6. In the modal, re-enter the name of the task type to confirm you want to delete it.
  7. Use the dropdown to select another task type to reassign any existing tasks to.
  8. Click Yes, Delete to confirm.

    • If a large number of tasks need to be reassigned, it may take a few minutes to complete your changes.

Bulk update task types

You can update the task type for any existing tasks in bulk using the Bulk Action Toolbar.

Set default task types for Lists

Set a default custom task type for a List, so that any new tasks created in the List will automatically use a specific type. Members or above with edit permissions on a List can set default task types.

When you set a default custom task type for a List, no existing tasks in the List will be updated. You can update any existing tasks using the Bulk Action Toolbar.

If you set your default task type to something besides tasks, the Add task button in the upper-right corner of List view will display the default type instead.

2023-10-02_16-04-02.png
Setting a default task type doesn't limit the ability to add additional custom task types to the List.

To set a default task type:

  1. Go to a List view.
  2. Click the ellipsis ... menu to the right of the List name.
  3. Click Default task type.
  4. Select the task type you want to set as default.
  5. Any new tasks created in this List will default to this task type.

Filter by task type

You can filter by task type when using filters on views.

Use task type in Automations

You can use task type when creating Automation Actions, Triggers, and Conditions. 

Use task type in task templates

You can specify task type when creating a task template.

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