Understanding projects

Create a project    

To create a new project:

1. Click the Quick add button
2. Select Project

A new screen will present you with 3 options where you can either, create a Blank project, Use a template or Import spreadsheet.

Click on + in the Blank project window to start from scratch.

In organizations, you must belong to a team before you can create a project.

Set up your new project

Once you click on Blank project, you can fill in your project details, select your layout, choose a project color and icon, and set your privacy settings.

You can personalize your project by using custom project icons. Upload a jpg or a png to replace the default project icon. These custom icons will show up in your sidebar, home, portfolios and team pages, making it easier to find your projects. 

From the project details screen, you can:

1. Enter a project name and description
2. Select the team you wish to add the project to
3. Set your project privacy settings
4. Select a list, board, timeline, or calendar layout
5. Create a project once the details have been added

In organizations, the create project button will auto-populate with the team highest in your sidebar. Click the Team field to manually select which team your project will be created in.

Once you have filled out these fields and clicked the Create project button, your new project will load in the main pane and also appear in the sidebar.

Project actions

There are many available actions you can take on your projects in Asana. The actions shown below apply to projects. Search views and My tasks will have variations of these.

 

Click on the drop-down icon to access the following options:

1. Edit project details - modify the name or description of your project
2. Review project permissions
3. Set color & icon - change the color of the project
4. Copy project link
5. Duplicate
6. Save as template
7. Add to Portfolio
8. Import/Export
9. Archive - archive the project
10. Delete project

Favorite the project by clicking the star symbol beside the project name, adding it to your sidebar for easy access.

Project name and description

A project's name and description provides context on what the project is and what it is looking to achieve. When you open up a project, the project name is displayed prominently in the header.

To change a project's name and description:

1. Click on the drop-down menu
2. Select Edit project details

Project descriptions support rich text and emojis.  

Print a project

To print a project:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Click on Export/Print
3. Select the Print option

Your printed copy will include:

• Task names and descriptions
• Subtask names and descriptions
• Section or column names
• Incomplete/complete checkbox
• Custom fields
• Task due dates

The printed version reflects the current view of your project or My tasks. If you want the printed version to be sorted or filtered in any other way, simply change the view and try printing again.

You can also use the print option to save your project as a PDF. Most browsers will offer a "Save as PDF" option in their print dialog. 

Duplicate a project

Duplicate a project to use it as a template for common workflows.

To duplicate a project:

1. Click the drop-down menu next to the project's title
2. Select Duplicate

Check your desired fields; these will be included in your new project. Click Create New Project once finished.

For workflows you use all the time, consider using project templates instead of duplicating projects one by one.

Archive a project

Archiving projects allows you to focus on active projects. Only project admins can archive a project.

To archive a project:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Select Archive

Anyone with a link to the archived project will be able to access the project easily. You can also find it through Search.

Tasks in archived projects that are assigned to you will still show in your My tasks.

Looking to mark a project as complete? We recommend completing a project in the project status, as archiving a project will not update its status.

Unarchive a project

You can always restore a project via the project header or via the sidebar.

To unarchive a project:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Select Unarchive
3. Or click the restore button in the top right hand corner

Archived projects will never expire and do not get deleted.

Delete a project

Deleting a project deletes it for everyone. Only delete projects that you are sure no one wants to keep. Only project admins can delete a project.

Assigned tasks and tasks that are associated with other projects will not get deleted.

To delete a project:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Select Delete project

All project members will receive an email notification of the deletion and the person who deleted it will receive a recovery link. This link will expire after 30 days. Project deletion emails won't be sent if the project is less than one day old and has zero tasks in it.

Move a project to another team

You can only move a project to teams that you're a member of.

To move a project to another team:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Select Edit project details
3. Type the name of the destination team

Move projects to another workspace or organization

Workspaces and organizations have hard barriers. In order to move a project to another space, you'll need to create a new project in your chosen workspace and organization instead, and copy and paste task lists manually from the existing project to this new project.

There are third party tools that may help you transfer or copy an Asana project to a different workspace, like this one. Asana has no liability or responsibility for third party tools.

Copy a project link

Copy the task URL to easily share with team members

To copy a project link:

1. Click the drop-down menu
2. Select Copy project link