A workflow defines the sequence a task follows: which status to apply, who becomes responsible, where a rejected task returns, and when the process is final.
Use a workflow when multiple people take responsibility for the same task one after another: one prepares the result, another reviews it, and a third approves it. Moving between stages passes the task to the configured assignee. There is one current assignee at a time; the task keeps the same card, files, comments, and history. For separate pieces of work with their own deadlines and outcomes, including parallel work, use subtasks.
1. Workflow List
Open workflows from Menu → Administration → Workflows. The list shows the workflow name, number of stages, and whether it is active or disabled. Active workflows can be selected when creating tasks; disabled workflows stay in settings but are not offered for new tasks.
Free includes up to two workflows per workspace, including disabled workflows; PRO has no workflow limit. The limit only applies to creating new workflows: existing ones keep working, including after PRO expires.
2. Stage Settings
Each stage has a name, status, assignee, final-stage flag, and optional rejection target. Statuses come from workspace settings, so configure Custom Statuses first if the default chain is not enough.
To set up a chain of people, choose an assignee for each stage. If a stage has no configured assignee, moving to it keeps the task's current assignee. A stage and a status are different: several stages can share the same status but have different assignees.
The workflow creation screens show Emma, Olivia, and James with the same In progress status. Review and Approval are configured to return to the previous step on rejection.
3. How It Works on a Task
When a task is attached to a workflow, manual status changes are locked. The task card shows a workflow block with the current stage, progress, and Done plus optional Reject actions. These buttons are available to the workspace owner, admins, the task author, and the assignee. Advancing the task applies the next stage status and assignee according to the workflow rules.
Done advances to the next stage; it does not necessarily complete the task. Reject sends it to the return stage configured for the current step, rather than allowing a free choice of any earlier stage. If at least one workflow stage has a configured assignee, manual reassignment of the linked task is locked: the workflow controls assignee changes.
Example: three assignees within one status
The task “Approve the launch newsletter” needs to pass through Emma, Olivia, and James. Configure four stages:
- Preparation — Emma: status “In progress”.
- Review — Olivia: the same “In progress” status; return to Preparation on rejection.
- Approval — James: the same “In progress” status; return to Review on rejection.
- Completed: status “Done”; enable the final-stage flag.
Leave the first three stages non-final. When creating the task, select this workflow and choose Emma as the assignee. After preparation, pressing Done passes the same task to Olivia; after review, it passes to James. The status stays “In progress” throughout. If James rejects the result, the task returns to Olivia at Review. After approval, Done moves it to the final stage. A user triggers each transition; iTasks applies the next stage and its configured assignee.
On the left, Olivia has the task at Review. On the right, pressing Done has passed it to James at Approval. The status stays the same; Reject returns the task along the configured route.
4. Projects and Deletion
A workflow can be set as a project's default process so new tasks start in the right chain. Project-level setup is covered in Projects. Deleting a workflow does not delete tasks: linked tasks are detached and remain in the workspace.
Related Guides
Creating tasks with a workflow selection is covered in Create and Edit Tasks. Task-card fields and state changes are described in Task Card and Status.