Creating tasks in docs and boards

Creating tasks in docsLink to this section

For simple lists of tasks or to-dos in your docs, you can use checklists. For more detailed project management, you can create and embed tasks directly in your boards and docs. Here’s how 👇

Hit / and then choose Task from the menu that appears (or type “task” and hit enter):

This will open up the new task modal, where you can enter a title and description, choose a color, and assign someone to the task:

You can also choose to add the task to a project, or leave it as a standalone task in the doc:

If you do it will appear here in the doc and in the tasks view for that project. Once added to a project, you’ll see two new options:

Add tags - choose from the project’s existing tags, or create new ones.
Change the status - Your choice of status will also update the color of the task card.

You’ll then see the task card in the doc with some info visible at a quick glance:

The assignee is shown on the top right (you can also assign someone here without opening the card)
Tags are shown across the bottom
If the task has a description, you’ll see an icon showing that on the bottom left
The task card’s color is updated automatically based on the status

Double click the task to open it and view all the details, or you can switch it to display as a link instead of an embedded card:

The card will also have a backlink to the doc that it’s in, which comes in handy if you’re viewing it in the linked Project:

Creating tasks in boardsLink to this section

Whimsical allows you the flexibility of viewing/creating your tasks on a board’s infinite canvas, alongside wireframes, flowcharts, and anything else you can imagine.

Here's a quick guide to help you get the most out of Whimsical tasks and stacks on your boards.

Entering and exiting task modeLink to this section

You can enter task mode with this button in the toolbar, or the keyboard shortcut Shift + C:

To exit task mode, select the ⬅️ arrow in the toolbar or use the keyboard shortcut Q :

Making stacks and task cardsLink to this section

First, make sure you have task mode enabled. (See above 😉)

To make your first stack:

Click or drag a stack out from the toolbar
Use the keyboard shortcut S

To create a task card:

Double-click on the canvas
Click or drag a task card out from the toolbar
Use the keyboard shortcut A

You can also use the All tools menu to add individual tasks and stacks without enabling card mode. Add other items to the same board alongside your stacks and tasks, like sticky notes, mind maps, and wireframes.

Customizing stacks and task cardsLink to this section

When you create or select a stack, there are a set of customization options available in the toolbar, including:

Setting the default size for tasks added to the stack (small, medium or large)
Opening the stack in a sidebar
Choosing a default color for cards created in the stack
Sorting options for the tasks in the stack, such as sorting by newest, oldest, latest comments, most comments, and most votes

When you create a new task or select an existing task(shift + click) , you get similar options in the toolbar:

Enable or disable notifications for comments/status changes on the task
Assign the task to yourself or a teammate
Add or remove tags
Duplicate the card

Importing and exporting stacks of tasksLink to this section

To export a stack of tasks as a bulleted text list:

Select the stack
Copy it
Paste it as plain text (sometimes called paste special) with Command + Shift + V (Mac) or Control + Shift + V (PC).

You can also import a text list (from Whimsical, or elsewhere) and convert it to a stack of tasks:

Copying it
Select a stack
Paste it with Command + V (Mac) or Control + V (PC).

Expanding task cardsLink to this section

Once you open a task card, you can add a more detailed description with different formatting options, such as images, links, and checklists

Pro tip: You can also embed Whimsical boards, or other tasks. 👌

You can also delete the card, assign it to a teammate, change its color, link it to a project, or start a discussion about it:

If you choose to add the task to a project, it will appear here in the board and in the tasks view for that project. Once added to a project, you’ll see two new options:

Add tags - choose from the project’s existing tags, or create new ones.
Change the status - Your choice of status will also update the color of the task card.