Auto-shifting dates for dependent tasks in list view

Available on Asana Starter, Advanced, Enterprise, and Enterprise+ tiers, as well as legacy tiers Premium, Business, and Legacy Enterprise.

When changing the due dates of tasks with dependencies results in a due date overlap, this feature can auto-shift the due dates based on your preferences. You can choose to maintain the buffer between dependent tasks, consume the buffer or ignore the buffer. This feature is currently available in list and timeline view.

The option to turn off auto-shifting dates is also available.

For auto-shifting to work, it is necessary that:

• A task has been marked as dependent on another
• The precedent and dependent tasks have due dates set. It can also work if tasks have start dates set along with a due date
• The change in any of the tasks causes an overlap in the dates
• The date change has been made on timeline, or by clicking on the due date and then clicking the Manage button in list view. If the due date of a task is changed from board or calendar view, dependent tasks due dates won’t be automatically updated. This will only apply to changes made in list view (when clicking on Manage) or in timeline view.
• Tasks are not marked as complete. Auto-shifting dates will not impact completed tasks

This functionality does not apply to subtasks by default. You can mark subtasks as dependent on the parent task if you want to use auto-shifting for subtasks.

How auto-shifting dates work in list view

You can now use auto-shifting while updating dates in a project’s list view.

• A change on a precedent task’s date will update the date of the dependent task when it causes an overlap.
• A change on a dependent task’s date will update the date of the precedent task when it causes an overlap.

Any change to the start date as a result of the auto-shifting dependency dates feature also changes the due date of that same task (and vice-versa).

The auto-shifting dependency dates feature automatically skips weekends. In addition, it works for changes that move the dates backward or forward:

• When a date is pushed forward in the future, a precedent task can move dependent tasks forward as well. However, if the date of a dependent task is postponed, it will not affect the precedent tasks.

When a date is pushed back in the past, a dependent task can also push a precedent task back. However, if the date of a precedent task is moved back, it will not affect the dependent tasks.

Tasks can be marked as dependent on tasks that are themselves dependent on other tasks, as well. Auto-shifting dates will also work for tasks under those dependency chains. In addition, milestones and subtasks will be updated too if they are part of a dependency chain.

Using the auto-shifting dates feature in list view

1. Click on the due date that you wish to change to open the date picker.
2. Click on Manage to review dependent tasks.
   
   

Reviewing dependent tasks

1. Select your new due date or date range.
2. When selecting a new due date that will impact task dependencies you will see a banner stating This task’s dependencies will be impacted.
3. Click Save to change the due date and auto-shift the due dates of depending tasks. 

Auto-shifting due dates in action

Once you’ve clicked Save you’ll notice that the due dates of the dependent tasks automatically change so that there is no overlap.

Click here to see examples of auto-shifting in action in timeline view.