Asana: Creating Project - Sections, Fields, and Rules 

Communications & Information Technology

 

Sections:

Sections are ways to organize tasks within a Project.

  • How to Add/Edit a Section
    • Add a Section
      • Click the +Add Section button in the body of your project board and name your new section.
      • To add a section to a specific spot on your Project:
        1. Click the three dots next to an existing section.
        2. Hover over the Add Section Tab.
        3. Choose either "Add section above" or "Add section below" and then name your new section.
    • Edit a Section
      • To rename a section, click on the section name, delete the old name, and type in the new section name.
    • Delete a Section
      • To delete a section, click on the three dots next to an existing section and click the “Delete Section” tab.
      • If you have tasks in the section you are attempting to delete, you will be asked if you want to delete or keep the tasks.
    • Reorder Sections
      • To reorder sections, click and hold the six dots next to the section name and drag it to the spot you want it to live.
  • Examples:
    • Stages: To Do → In Progress → Requester Review → Done
    • Types: Design → Development → Marketing
    • Time: Week 1 → Week 2 → Week 3
  • Tips for Creating Sections
    • Keep them simple and meaningful.
    • Match them to your workflow (especially if using board view).
    • Move tasks between sections as they progress.


Default Fields:

Default fields are built-in attributes of a task in a Project.

  • 2 default fields are automatically applied to blank Project Boards:
    • Assignee
    • Due Date
  • How to Add Other Default Fields:
    1. Other default fields can be added by clicking the Options button on the right side of your screen and then clicking Show/Hide Columns.
    2. Use the slider bar next to a field to toggle it on/off.
    3. Make sure to click Save View at the bottom of your screen when you make changes to your Project’s fields.
  • Other Default Fields:
    • Collaborators
    • Created by
    • Created on
    • Last modified on
    • Completed on
    • Projects
    • Tags
    • Blocked by
    • Blocking


Custom Fields:

Custom fields let you add your own data columns to tasks.

  • How to Create a Custom Field:
    1. Click on the plus sign in the column section of the Project Board to add a new custom field.
    2. Select a category for your custom field from the options provided by Asana.
    3. Fill in the required information and click the Create Field button when you are ready.
    4. You should see the new field added to the end of your fields columns.
  • Examples:
    • Status → Blocked / In Progress / Waiting
    • Effort → 1–5 scale
    • Department → Marketing / Sales / Product
  • Tips when Creating Custom Fields:
    • Don’t overdo it: stick to a few meaningful fields
    • Standardize options: use the same priority and status fields across Projects
    • Use fields for reporting and filtering, not just decoration


Rules:

Rules are automations that trigger actions when something occurs on a Project Board and are used to reduce manual work and enforce consistency.

  • Three Parts of a Rule:
    • “When” is your trigger step. This step is required.
      • “When this happens…”
    • “Check if” is an extra step if your rule needs to filter the tasks more before the action step.
      • This step is not required.
    • “Do this” is your action step. This step is required.
      • “…complete this process.”
  • How to Add Rules:
    1. Click the Customize button in the top right corner of the Project Board.
    2. Click the Rules button and then the +Add button.
    3. On the Add Rule page, click “Start from Scratch”.
    4. Name your rule.
    5. Create your rule: 
      • Fill in the required “When” and “Do This” sections of the rule.
      • Fill in the “Check If” section if needed. If it is not, delete this section from your rule.
      • Click the Create Rule button to save your rule.
  • Examples:
    • When a task is marked “complete” → move it to the “Done” section
    • When due date is approaching “due today” → move task to “Today” section
    • When priority is set to “Complete” → set status to “Done”, mark task as “complete”, and move task to “Completed” section
  • Tips when Creating Rules:
    • Start simple: 1–2 key automations
    • Focus on repetitive tasks
    • Avoid over-automation: adding too many rules too fast can make things confusing



Your screens and processes may vary slightly from this document.