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🎉 Tasks can now be auto-scheduled in any status!

Auto-schedule is no longer a status

Luis Carrasco
Head of Product at Motion
Dec 5, 2023
Table of contents

Starting today, auto-schedule is decoupled from Statuses, meaning you can move a task to any status AND have it be auto-scheduled at the same time.

Exciting Changes Ahead:

We’ve decided to de-couple “Auto-scheduled” from the status. Here’s what this means:

  • Tasks can be auto-scheduled regardless of which status they’re in. So you can easily track tasks through the task lifecycle without worrying about your tasks not being scheduled on your calendar
  • Completed tasks will now automatically have the “Auto-scheduled” turned off. It’s one less thing for you to worry about while closing your tasks.

Furthermore, “Auto-scheduled” will no longer be a status you can manually select, making the task boards cleaner and more aligned with your workflow stages. And don’t worry, if you hover over where it used to be, a tooltip will explain why it’s gone and where you can learn more.

Refining the Task Lifecycle:

This update also introduces a more straightforward default set of statuses. These represent the lifecycle of a task, providing clarity and consistency in task management:

  • Backlog: Think of this as a holding area for tasks you're not ready to schedule.
  • Todo: Here lie your scheduled tasks that await action. This is where tasks are born, ready for your attention!
  • In Progress: This is self-explanatory – your task is underway and moving towards completion.
  • Blocked: External factors stopping you? That’s what this status is for.
  • Completed: The finish line for your tasks. It’s time to celebrate little victories!

And of course, you can create any status you need to manage your workflows.

💡 You will also be able to customize the default auto-schedule behavior for each state. Go to Settings → Workspace → Statuses and select which statuses will have auto-schedule enabled for your workspaces.

What About Your Existing Tasks?

No need to fret over your existing “Auto-Scheduled” tasks. They’ll be safely moved to a “[Deprecated] Auto-Scheduled” status, ensuring no task gets left behind during this transition.

Why Change “Auto-Scheduled”?

We noticed a pattern where the “Auto-scheduled” status was causing a bit of a mix-up. In many workflows, a task’s status reflects its stage: whether it’s being worked on, under review, completed, and so on. However, “Auto-scheduled” often didn’t fit neatly into these stages, leading to confusion and inconsistencies across different departments.

Here’s what we understood from your feedback:

  1. Using Status: Teams across Engineering, Support, and Marketing (to name a few) use “status” to indicate various stages of a task, such as “In Review” or “Ready for QA.” The “Auto-scheduled” status often didn’t align with these practical stages.
  2. Scheduling vs. Statuses: “Auto-scheduled” is more about timing than statuses. It made sense to separate scheduling from the actual workflow stages of a task.

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These changes will provide a more structured, intuitive, and efficient task management experience. As always, your workflow is our priority, and we’re here to ensure it runs smoothly. Here’s to enhanced productivity!

Happy tasking!

Luis Carrasco
Written by Luis Carrasco