Feature Overview Video
Why create repeating tasks in SmartSuite?
Repeating Tasks is a powerful feature that allows you to automate routine tasks within a specific record.
Throughout the project's lifecycle, certain tasks will occur repeatedly. These tasks may include team or executive meetings, status reports, testing, performance reviews, and more.
The Repeating Schedule defines the value for the new Due Date field of the newly created record. You can choose from the following options:
Daily: For tasks that need to be completed every day.
Option to Skip Weekends: If enabled, tasks won't be created on Saturdays and Sundays. They will be shifted to Mondays instead.
Weekly: For tasks that need to be completed every week
Choose Days of the Week: Select the specific days of the week when the task should repeat.
Monthly: Various options available
Same Day Each Month: Set the task to repeat on the same day each month.
Dynamic Due Date: The schedule is based on the current due date value.
First/Last Day of the Month: Set the task to repeat on the first or last day of each month.
Yearly: For tasks that occur once per year
Set up the task to repeat every year on the specified due date.
Days after completion: For tasks that occur a certain number of days after completion
Set an interval for the task to repeat after a specific number of days from the date of completion
Custom: For tasks that recur biweekly, bimonthly, or quarterly
Choose intervals for weekly and monthly runs, and select the days of the week as needed
These automated tasks can be enabled and configured directly from the record without using the Automations UI.
Note: The status field of the existing record must be set to complete before the next one is created even if the the original due date passes.
Feature Availability
The Repeating Tasks feature is available to all users who have editing permission. By default, the Repeating property is set to On.
How to Create Repeating Tasks in SmartSuite
Eliminate the need to create recurring tasks for projects every day, weekly, monthly, or yearly. Here's a guide on how to use recurring tasks in SmartSuite:
You set recurring tasks from existing records. From the record you wish to recur, click on the Due Date field value and a calendar view will pop up.
Select the Repeating Task icon at the bottom and the repeating task settings will be displayed. Ensure to toggle the Repeating Task switch to On.
You can now set the preferred schedule of the task from the following options:
Daily
A new task will be created daily.
Weekly
From the weekly option, you can select the day or days of the week you would like the task to repeat.
Monthly
Options for the Monthly frequency include the same day each month, the first (day of the week you select), the first day of the month, or the last day of the month.
Yearly
Yearly tasks will recur each year on the specified due date.
Days After Completion
The Days after completion schedule allows you to set an interval for the task to repeat after a certain number of days from the date of completion.
Custom
The Custom schedule provides more flexibility to set intervals for weekly and monthly runs. You can indicate any numeric value to set for every X weeks or months and select the day or days of the week.
For example, you can create a custom task to run every 3 weeks on Sunday.
Setting the Status Field & Copying Field
Set the Status value you would like the field to be set to upon creation.
Next, you can determine the fields to be copied over to the newly created field by simply checking the box next to each field. You have the option to copy all fields at the top or individually select which ones.
Setting up a SmartSuite Recurring Task Based on a Completion Date
This feature also allows you to create recurring tasks based on the last time a task was completed.
To set up this type of recurring task, you can follow the same steps as before. When you reach the scheduling part, just select the "Days After Completion" option.
From there, you can set an interval for the task to repeat after a certain number of days from the date of completion. This way, it will take into account the completion date of the task to determine when it should be repeated next.
In the above image, this is a schedule set to 10 days. When the task is marked complete, the same task will be repeated in 10 days.
Use Case 1: Every 2 Weeks on Monday and Thursday
Scenario: Let's say you have a project with tasks that need to be repeated every two weeks on Mondays and Thursdays. You have set a Due Date for one of the tasks, but it's already in the past.
Current Situation: Today is Monday, July 24, and the original task's Due Date was on Monday, June 17 (which is already in the past).
New Due Date: The system calculates the weekdays' closest occurrence (Monday and Thursday) after the current date.
In this case, the new Due Date for the recurring task will be on Thursday, July 27.
Use Case 2: Every 2 months on day 28
Scenario: Imagine you have another project with tasks that need to be repeated every two months on the 28th day of the month. One of the tasks had a Due Date set for May 15, but it has already passed.
Current Situation: Today is Tuesday, June 27, and the original task's Due Date was on Monday, May 15 (which is already in the past).
New Due Date: The system calculates the interval count starting from the original Due Date. In this case, one month has passed from May 28 to June 28. As a result, the new Due Date for the recurring task will be on Thursday, June 28.
With these recurring task settings, you can easily manage tasks that need to be repeated on specific schedules, saving you time and effort in setting up repetitive tasks manually.
How does recurring due date work when tasks are completed late?
Imagine you have set up a task with a recurring due date that is scheduled to repeat every Thursday. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances or delays, you completed the task two weeks later than its original due date.
In this case, the system is designed to be intelligent and adaptive. When you mark the task as completed, it will consider the completion date as the starting point for the next occurrence. It will then calculate the next Thursday from the completion date and set it as the new due date for the task.
Let's walk through an example:
The original due date of the task was Thursday, June 1st.
You completed the task two weeks later on Thursday, June 15th.
The recurring due date feature will recognize the completion date (June 15th) as the new starting point.
The system will calculate the next Thursday after June 15th, which is June 22nd.
The new due date for the task will be adjusted to Thursday, June 22nd.
In this way, the recurring due date feature ensures that your tasks stay on track even if there are delays in completing them. It adapts to changes in completion dates and schedules the next occurrence accordingly, so you don't have to worry about missing future deadlines.
How can I stop a recurring task?
To stop a recurring task in SmartSuite:
Disable Repeating: Go to the Due Date field of the task with the repeating property. Turn off the Repeating Task toggle.
Underlying Automation: Disabling the Repeating Task toggle will stop the automation from creating new records based on the recurrence schedule.
Additional Important Information
Working with Timezones
Time zones come into play only when a time value is set for a field. If no time value is set, all users will see the same date value regardless of their time zone.
Due Date Deletion/Migration
If the value of a due date field gets deleted or migrated to another field type, the Repeating Task settings and underlying automation will be handled accordingly.
Record/Table/Solution Deletion
If a Record, Table, or Solution gets deleted, the Repeating Task settings will be kept, but the underlying automation will be switched off. If they are restored, the Repeating Task settings will be restored, and the underlying automation will be switched on automatically.
Status Deletion/Migration
Status deletion/migration should not be possible if it is linked to a due date field. If it happens, the Repeating Task settings and underlying automation for all records of the linked Due Date field will be removed.