Creating a Task

Creating a new task is extremely easy and simply involves adding in any relevant details for the task. These can include:

Subject - This is the simple name for the task, like "Create new blog post" or "Organize meeting notes".

Task Description - This is where you enter more details about the task. For example, a copy of any meeting notes or general notes necessary for the completion of the task. These can be updated at any time. Editing the description and keeping additional notes there is especially beneficial when participating in shared tasks. In addition, the task description area is fully HTML compliant with a rich editor so it's possible to stylize the description with different fonts and colors, links to outside resources, etc.

Then there are the Task Details, which include:

• Source - Where the task is kept. By default, new tasks are stored within Tasks, but if you have shared tasks with others, you can save a task there as well so the person you're sharing with can keep track of the task's status.
• Start - The date and time the task is supposed to start. Both areas have quick-select icons for setting the date as well as the time, but you can manually enter this information as well.
• Due - The date and time the task is due. Again, both areas have quick-select icons for setting the date as well as the time, but you can manually enter this information as well.
• Reminder - If you want to be reminded before the task's Start time, use this toggle. When you first set a Start time, SmarterMail defaults the reminder to 5 minutes beforehand, but you can adjust it to whatever you like. Keep in mind this is just a starting value — if you go back and change the Start time later, the reminder won't automatically move with it, so double-check it if your schedule shifts.
• Private Task - Toggle this to keep details of the task private, especially when adding tasks to your calendar.
• Priority - Priorities help you keep abreast of important tasks and organize your time, using a scale from 0 to 10. There are no built-in labels like "Low" or "High" attached to specific numbers — it's up to you to decide what scale makes sense for your own tasks. That said, when you sort your task list by Priority, SmarterMail shows the highest numbers first by default, so treating higher numbers as more important (and 0 as least important) lines up with how the sort behaves out of the box.
• Status - The status of a task reminds you, and others if sharing tasks, where the task is in terms of its progress towards the due date.
• % Complete - Adding a % Complete further lets you, and others if sharing tasks, see how far along the task is in terms of meeting the due date.

Finally, there are Categories. Just like within Contacts and other areas of SmarterTools, it's possible to Mark a task with one or more categories. Adding categories is a great way to keep tasks organized. For more information, see Categories. It's also possible to add one or more attachments to the task using the paperclip button.

Using AI Assistance

Using the AI Tools icon in the Description editor's toolbar, you can use the AI provider that's configured for your user to generate text for a task. This is especially useful if you're unsure where to start with a task. Using AI can create a foundation that you can then build upon.

Clicking the icon opens the AI Assistance dialog, where you pick a command — Lengthen, Shorten, Proofread, Translate, or Text Tone — add any extra instructions you want the AI to follow, and type your input text. For example, you might use "Generate a description of this meeting pertaining to marketing strategy for Q2 of this year" as input text with no specific command selected. Clicking Generate will offer something like this:

You can then insert that text as the task description, then add to it as needed. You can also select existing text in the description and run one of those same commands against just the selection — handy for lengthening, shortening, proofreading, translating, or adjusting the tone of a specific passage without regenerating the whole description.

Editing a Task

To edit a task, simply click on the card of the task you want to modify. Once opened, you'll be able to edit any area of the task. Editing tasks is important, especially when tasks are shared with others, to add new notes, adjust due dates and % complete and more.

Tasks and Calendars

Depending on whether you have your calendar set up to display the start and/or end times for tasks, once the task is saved, it will appear on your calendar.

New Task Folders

Similar to how you can create folders for storing/organizing emails, it's possible to store Tasks in folders as well. By default, SmarterMail creates a folder called "Tasks" to house any task you create in webmail. However, if a user wanted more granularity in their tasks, they can create individual folders for specific types. For example, "Marketing Tasks", "QC Tasks" or even folders for tasks based on specific companies or businesses. There is no limit to how folders can be used.

Using Folders is a great way to share groups of tasks with others within your organization. Rather than sharing individual tasks, one or two at a time, they can be organized in a folder, then that folder can be shared.

Creating a New Folder

To create a new folder, click the Folder icon at the top of the task folders list and do the following:

1. Select New Folder.
2. A modal window appears.
3. Add a Name for the folder.
4. Be sure to Save your changes.

Editing a Folder

If you want to change the settings of a folder, it's very simple: simply click on its name then click the Folder icon, or right-click the folder name and select Edit Folder from the context menu. The settings modal opens and you can change the Name and the color associated to the folder.