How to Set Up Sequential Tasks: Step-by-Step Handoffs
To pass work from one specialist to the next without “your turn” messages, set up sequential tasks: each stage opens for its assignee only after the previous one is done. Sequential tasks in Planfix are chains of subtasks under one parent task, with future steps waiting in drafts. This short video (3:25) shows how to build a clear multi-step process pipeline, from the first subtask to a reusable template.
What you’ll learn: how to manage sequential tasks in Planfix
- See why step-by-step processes turn chaotic when tasks start too early (0:00).
- Create a sequence in which each new stage is activated only after the previous one is completed (0:42).
- Configure subtask statuses and keep future stages as drafts, so the team isn’t distracted by unnecessary notifications.
- Set up a sequential task template for a standard process, such as landing page development (1:52).
- See how parallel tasks for related teams start at the same time as the main stage.
- Manage access to the parent task so employees can exchange files and technical requirements.
How to set up sequential tasks in Planfix, step by step
Step 1. Create the root task
Start the chain with the root task, the parent task that will hold every stage. Check the Sequential task checkbox: Planfix automatically switches the new task to Draft, though you can set it to New manually. Every stage of the chain must share this parent and have the same checkbox checked.
Step 2. Add the stages as subtasks
Inside the parent task, add subtasks with the full form or use quick create in the Subtask panel. All new subtasks get the Sequential task attribute by default:
- if the parent task is in Draft, its subtasks are created in Draft too;
- if the parent task is in New, the first subtask is in New and the rest are in Draft.
The order of the subtasks in the parent task’s checklist sets the order of the chain. Each stage can have its own assignee: for instance, a coder’s task can start once the designer’s is done.
Step 3. Keep future stages hidden in drafts
Stages that must not reach assignees ahead of time stay in Draft until their turn comes. That way, future tasks don’t clutter assignees’ lists.
Step 4. Start the chain
When the chain is ready, change the status of the root parent task from Draft to New. The first sequential subtask is activated automatically. When it is completed or moved to any inactive status, the next one is activated, and so on until the whole chain is done. By default, each activated task moves from Draft to the status specified in its template. In effect, you get automated task assignment along the chain: each specialist receives their step only when it’s their turn.
Step 5. Build the chain as a template
For a process you run again and again, use task templates: in the Templates section, build a template tree that includes a sequential task template, meaning a subtask template with the Sequential task attribute. When you create a task from the root template, the root task and the first subtask are active, and the other stages wait their turn.
Examples of sequential tasks
The video builds its template around landing page development. Here is how that and other multi-step processes could look as chains (illustrative stages, one assignee each):
- Landing page development: design → coding → testing → publishing.
- Order fulfillment: order processing → production → delivery.
- Content publishing: writing → editing → approval → publication.
Who sequential tasks are for
- Team leads: the video shows how the chain helps distribute roles and reduce visual noise in the Chronicle, the feed of events from the tasks and projects you’re linked to.
- Related teams: instead of waiting in line, they work on parallel tasks; sequential and parallel tasks combine into trees that match your business processes.
- Teams that hand off work in messengers: if handoffs now happen in Telegram or Viber, move work discussions from chats into tasks and let the chain pass the work along.
FAQ
Can every assignee see the whole chain of sequential tasks?
No. Only the creator of the chain sees all of it; each assignee sees only their own tasks. Assignees don’t see the parent task unless you give them access, so their step can look like an ordinary task.
How are sequential tasks different from task dependencies?
In a sequential task flow, status is the trigger: the next step is activated when the previous one is completed or moved to an inactive status, and until then it waits in Draft. Task dependencies, such as finish-to-start links on a Gantt chart, connect tasks by dates. For the date-based approach, see how to create a task dependency in project management tools.
Do sequential tasks work with automated scripts?
Not with every script: sequential tasks currently aren’t compatible with automated scripts whose conditions depend on subtask activity, such as “Has subtasks and all of them are inactive,” especially scripts that complete tasks automatically.
Build your first task chain
Pick one process your team repeats and turn its stages into sequential subtasks under one parent task. The full setup is described in the Sequential tasks guide in the Planfix Help Center. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
This video was featured in What’s New in Planfix: June 2026.
