What project tasks are
Tasks are the action items that move a project from kickoff to delivery, things like "Concept sketches", "Client review" or "Final file delivery". They sit grouped under the project's delivery milestones, which are the stages the work moves through.
You do not have to create them one by one. They load from your Base when you activate a project.
When tasks appear
Tasks only exist in Active projects. While a project is in Pipeline you are still negotiating, so there are none. On activation, TCB copies the task list from the Base Service and calculates start and due dates from the activation date.
Where they come from
Every Base Service carries its own milestones and default tasks, built from benchmarks for that kind of work. A Brand Identity service might carry "Discovery and brief", "Concept development", "Client review" and "Final file delivery".
You can shape them in two places, and the difference matters:
In Base Setup, on the Base Services tab, you edit the template. Changes apply to future projects using that service.
In the project itself, you edit that job. Rename, reorder, add or remove milestones, and add tasks inside them, without touching your Base.
In both places you can reorder by dragging or with the up and down arrows on each row, which also work on a phone and with a keyboard.
How dates are calculated
Each task carries a duration in days. On activation, TCB works out the start and due date for each one from the activation date, the order of the list and those durations, so your timeline is generated instead of typed. You can adjust any individual date afterwards.
Completing tasks
Check them off in the project view. When every task is done, TCB asks whether you want to mark the project as Completed, which frees a slot on the Free plan. You can also complete a project manually at any time, whatever the tasks say.
Tasks in recurring projects
A retainer does not finish, it runs in cycles. Tasks belong to the cycle they were created in, and starting the next cycle creates a fresh set from your Base. Anything you did not finish stays behind in the cycle that closed, where it happened, and stops asking for your attention. Read Recurring projects and cycles.
When a project is paused
On On Hold, tasks stay visible but frozen. Checkboxes are disabled and no progress is recorded until you resume.
When a project is completed
All tasks become read-only. You can still read them, but not edit or uncheck them.
Tasks on your dashboard
Tasks due soon or overdue surface on your dashboard, and the ones that matter most also show up as reminders in your insight feed and in the Daily Brief, so a deadline does not have to be hunted for.
Tip: shape them early
The default lists are a strong starting point, and they get useful when they are yours. Running Refine once, or editing a service in Base Setup, is what makes your project timelines mean something.