Due dates and priorities

Ultrathink helps you stay on top of deadlines with due dates, colour-coded urgency indicators, and filtering tools. This page covers how to set due dates, understand the warning colours, filter tasks by deadline, and link tasks to projects for better organisation.

Setting due dates

You can assign a due date to any task to indicate when it should be completed.

Adding a due date

1. Click on a task to open the detail panel
2. Find the Due Date field
3. Click the field to open the date picker
4. Select a date from the calendar
5. Optionally, set a specific time

The due date appears on the task card on the Kanban board, making it visible at a glance without needing to open the task.

Changing a due date

1. Open the task in the detail panel
2. Click the current due date
3. Select a new date from the picker
4. The task card updates immediately

Removing a due date

1. Open the task in the detail panel
2. Click the current due date
3. Clear the date field or click the Remove option
4. The task reverts to having no deadline

Colour-coded urgency indicators

Tasks with due dates display colour-coded warnings based on how soon the deadline is. These colours appear on the task card on the Kanban board, making it easy to spot urgent work.

Colour	Condition	Meaning
Red	Past due	The task is overdue and needs attention
Amber	Due today or tomorrow	The deadline is imminent
Green	Due in 2 or more days	The deadline is not urgent
Grey	No due date	No deadline has been set

How the colours update

The urgency colours are calculated dynamically. A task that shows green today might show amber tomorrow and red the day after, as the deadline gets closer. You do not need to update anything manually; Ultrathink recalculates the colour every time you view the board.

Reading urgency at a glance

On the Kanban board, scan for red cards first; these are overdue and need your attention. Amber cards are due very soon, and green cards have more breathing room.

This colour system helps you prioritise without needing to read every due date individually.

Filtering by due date

The Tasks view provides several ways to filter tasks based on their deadlines.

Quick filters

Two of the quick filters relate directly to due dates:

Quick filter	What it shows
Overdue	Tasks where the due date has passed
No Due Date	Tasks that do not have a deadline set

To use a quick filter:

1. Open the Tasks view
2. Click the filter name at the top of the board
3. The board updates to show only matching tasks

You can combine due date quick filters with other filters for more precise results.

Advanced date range filter

For more precise control, use the advanced date range filter:

1. Click the Filter button in the Tasks toolbar
2. Select Date range as the filter type
3. Set a start date and end date
4. The board shows only tasks with due dates falling within that range

This is useful for planning: filter to the next two weeks to see what is coming up, or filter to a specific sprint period.

Prioritising tasks

While Ultrathink does not have a separate "priority" field, you can establish priority through a combination of due dates, manual ordering, and organisation techniques.

Using due dates for priority

Set earlier due dates for higher-priority work. The colour-coded warnings then naturally surface the most important tasks:

1. Overdue tasks appear in red
2. Tasks due very soon appear in amber
3. Tasks due later appear in green
4. Tasks without deadlines show no urgency colour

Manual ordering within columns

Drag tasks within a Kanban column to set their priority order:

1. Place the highest-priority tasks at the top of the column
2. Place lower-priority tasks further down
3. Your custom order is saved and persists across sessions

This is particularly useful for the To Do column, where you might have many tasks but need to work through them in a specific order.

Linking tasks to projects

Tasks can be associated with project entries, giving you a way to see all the work related to a specific initiative.

Adding a project link

1. Open a task by clicking on it
2. In the detail panel, find the Related section
3. Click Link to Project
4. Search for an existing project entry
5. Select the project from the results

The task now appears under that project. You can view all tasks linked to a project by opening the project entry and checking its detail panel.

Viewing project tasks

1. Navigate to the project entry (through the entries grid or sidebar)
2. Open the project in the detail panel
3. Scroll to the related entries section
4. All linked tasks are listed, with their current status and due date

This gives you a project-level view of task progress without leaving the detail panel.

Removing a project link

1. Open the task in the detail panel
2. Find the linked project in the Related section
3. Click the remove or unlink option next to the project
4. The association is removed, but neither the task nor the project is deleted

Working with due dates: practical tips

Setting realistic deadlines

• Break large tasks into smaller ones with individual due dates rather than setting a single deadline for a large piece of work
• Add buffer time: set due dates a day or two before the actual deadline to give yourself room for unexpected delays
• Review weekly: at the start of each week, check your due dates and adjust any that are no longer realistic

Monitoring overdue tasks

Overdue tasks (shown in red) need attention. When you see red cards on your board:

1. Decide whether the task is still relevant
2. If it is, update the due date to a realistic new deadline
3. If it is not, mark it as done or move it to the backlog
4. Do not leave tasks overdue indefinitely, as it makes the colour indicators less useful

Using due dates with the workplan

Tasks with due dates can be pulled into your daily workplan for focused planning:

1. Open the Workplan view
2. Add tasks that are due today or this week
3. Work through them in order during the day
4. Mark tasks as done as you complete them

The workplan and task board stay in sync, so completing a task in either view updates the other.

Due date reference

Action	How to do it
Set a due date	Open task, click Due Date field, select date
Change a due date	Open task, click current due date, select new date
Remove a due date	Open task, click due date, clear or remove
Filter overdue tasks	Click Overdue quick filter
Filter by date range	Click Filter, select Date range, set dates
View task urgency	Check the colour indicator on the task card

Next steps

• Task workflows: move tasks through statuses and apply filters
• Kanban board setup: configure the board layout for your workflow
• Creating tasks: learn how to add new tasks to your board