Creating tasks
Tasks in Ultrathink are entries with the entity type set to Task. Any entry you capture, whether it is a web page, a note, or an AI conversation, can become a task. Once an entry is classified as a task, it gains access to task-specific features: status tracking, Kanban board placement, due dates, and comments.
This page covers how to create tasks, what makes them different from other entries, and the features that become available once an entry is a task.
What is a task?
A task is an entry that represents something you need to do. It has all the same properties as any other entry (title, notes, topics, people, related entries) plus additional task-specific properties:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Status | The current state of the task: Not Started, In Progress, or Done |
| Kanban column | Which column the task appears in on the board |
| Due date | An optional deadline with colour-coded urgency indicators |
| Comments | A discussion thread attached to the task |
Creating tasks from capture
When you capture content using the browser extension, desktop widget, or iOS app, Ultrathink's AI processes the entry and may automatically classify it as a task.
How auto-classification works
- Save any entry through one of Ultrathink's capture methods
- The AI analyses the content for action-oriented language
- If it detects action items, to-do lists, or task-like phrasing, it sets the entity type to Task
- The task appears on your Kanban board in the Backlog column
Auto-classification works best with content that contains clear action items: meeting notes with follow-ups, messages with requests, or lists of things to do.
Manually changing an entry to a task
If the AI does not classify an entry as a task and you want it to be one, you can change it yourself:
- Open the entry by clicking on it in the entries grid
- In the detail panel, find the Entity Type field
- Change it from its current value to Task
- The entry now appears on your Kanban board
You can also change a task back to another entity type (Knowledge, Project, or Unclassified) at any time. Doing so removes it from the Kanban board but does not delete the entry.
Creating tasks from the web app
You can create tasks directly in the web app without capturing external content first.
Using the new button
- Navigate to the Tasks section using the sidebar
- Click the + New button at the top of the Tasks view
- Enter a title for the task
- Add any additional details in the notes field
- Assign the task to a Kanban column (defaults to Backlog if you do not choose one)
The new task is created immediately and appears in the column you selected.
Creating from the entries grid
You can also create a task from the main entries grid:
- Click + New in the entries grid toolbar
- Fill in the title and notes
- Set the entity type to Task
- The entry appears both in the entries grid and on the Kanban board
Task features
Once an entry becomes a task, several features become available.
Status tracking
Every task has a status that reflects its current state:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Not Started | The task has not been started yet |
| In Progress | You are currently working on the task |
| Done | The task is complete |
You can change the status in two ways:
- Drag the task card to a different Kanban column (the status updates automatically based on the column mapping)
- Use the status dropdown in the detail panel
Kanban board placement
Tasks appear as cards on the Kanban board. Each card shows the task title, due date (if set), and status indicator. You can drag cards between columns and reorder them within a column.
For more on configuring the Kanban board, see Kanban board setup.
Due dates
Set deadlines on tasks to track when work is due. Tasks with due dates display colour-coded indicators so you can see urgency at a glance:
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red | Past due |
| Amber | Due today or tomorrow |
| Green | Due in 2 or more days |
| Grey | No due date set |
For details on setting and managing due dates, see Due dates and priorities.
Comments
Add discussion threads to tasks for context, updates, or collaboration notes.
- Open a task by clicking on it
- Scroll to the Comments section at the bottom of the detail panel
- Type your comment
- Press Enter or click Post
Comments support mentions: type @ followed by a name to link to someone from your People list. Each comment shows a timestamp so you can track when updates were added.
You can edit or delete your own comments using the icons that appear when you hover over them.
Tips for effective task creation
- Be specific with titles: use action-oriented language like "Review Q3 report" rather than vague titles like "Report"
- Add context in notes: include links, references, or background information so you have everything you need when you start working
- Use topics for grouping: tag tasks with topics to filter them later (for example, tagging all marketing tasks with a "Marketing" topic)
- Let AI help: capture meeting notes and emails with the extension; the AI will extract action items and create tasks automatically
Next steps
- Kanban board setup: configure the board layout for your workflow
- Task workflows: learn how to move tasks through statuses and filter your board
- Due dates and priorities: set deadlines and track upcoming work