The task editor can be used to update or create a task. Head to the task planner via the navigation bar to choose your task to edit or create a new one. 

To update a task you can click on the pencil icon which appears to the right of the task name. You'll see all the details that were making up the existing task. 

To start a new task from scratch, hit 'create task' in the top right. You'll see the empty fields ready to make up your new task!

The editor is split into 4 different sections:

Click on each section on the page to complete that part, once you're done, hit save and you'll have created or updated a Task for your Sites.

Choose a short, clear concise title, avoiding jargon where possible.

Add important context for your as well as instructions on how to complete the task. For example, add temperature ranges, or the steps your team will need to take if a task cannot be completed to your organisation’s standards. 

Enter each checklist item on its own line. Uncheck the box beneath the text box to allow the task to be “Marked as done” without all the subtasks being checked off.

Record Logs are used when a task can't be completed by simply ticking off checklist items. Teams need to input data such as temperatures or comments and that's where Record Logs come in.

For more information about creating/editing record logs, read our introduction to record logs & recording data.

Here you can upload a file (by clicking on the button that says “Upload File”) or you can add a link to a website, by copying and pasting (or typing) the link into the box and clicking “Add link”. By clicking where it says “Attach another file or link”, you will bring up another section where you can add another file or link.

Mandatory Photos and Comments

You can adjust the comments settings to help make sure everything's been done by making supporting files and comments mandatory. 

Ticking these boxes will mean that the task cannot be completed without attaching a comment or file with it. Perfect for when you want to create a task for visual checks e.g. setting up a bar or proof of a clean kitchen. 

If the supporting file is not uploaded, a warning message will appear to prompt them to complete this before hitting 'Done'.

The second toggle switches your task from a Scheduled task to an Ad-hoc one (and back). An Ad-hoc task is any that you want added to Trail only when needed. For example, an Accident report.

The last step to creating your task is scheduling it. 

All these can be set with the scheduling section, for more information how it works check out this article.

By default tasks are assigned to all sites, but you can also choose specific sites for more control. Remember that tasks can also be bulk-assigned to several sites at once from the Task Planner.

Use tags to organise tasks by role or department - for example by Kitchen or Front of House. Teams can then filter down to just their tasks. Tags aren't available on our Solo plan - find out more about tags here and learn about filtering Trails. To learn more about our plans and features, click here.

Sometimes you need to create tasks which only your Admin and Manager users can view and complete, you can set this here. By default everyone can see and complete a task.

Turning this toggle on lets you, or any other relevant Admins/Managers, receive notifications when the task has been completed. Perfect for keeping tabs on critical tasks.

If you’re wanting to create a new task that’s similar to an existing one, you can hit ‘make a copy’. This will create an identical duplicate version of the task you’re on, with the same details, including schedule, sites and settings.

You could use this, for example, to create an afternoon fridge temperature check task from a morning one. You’ll need to change the name and schedule, plus any other details necessary but it can save you a lot of time when creating tasks!

A few tips: