Does it matter which page I’m on when I add a task?

Not really, but there are some things you should know.

• If you add a task from the Dashboard or the Tasks screen, it won’t be linked to anyone or anything. That just means it’s a general task. It’s not attached to a person, a note, a company, or a case. There’s nothing bad about that, it’s just the way it is.
• If you add a task from a person or company or case page, it will be attached to that person, company, or case. That means you’ll see a link to that person, company, or case next to the task when you view it on the Dashboard or Tasks screen.
• If you add a task from a note, it will be attached to the note. That means you’ll see a link to that note next to the task when you view the task on the Dashboard or Tasks screen.

How does Highrise let me know when a task is due?

If a task was assigned a specific date and time (For example: March 18, 4:00pm), Highrise will send you an email when that task is due. You can also have Highrise send you an SMS to your cell phone. To turn on SMS alerts, click the “My Info” link (top right corner of any screen) then click the “Task reminders” tab.

Who can see my tasks? Are tasks shared?

You can decide whether a task is private or public. By default, tasks are private. You are the only person who can see tasks you’ve created for yourself.

However, if someone else created a task and assigned it to you, they can also see it by clicking on the “Assigned” link at the top of their Tasks screen.

You can make a task public by selecting the checkbox when creating/editing a task that says “Let everyone see this task.” Checking this box makes the task visible to everyone in your Highrise account. So if you have a task to get done, and it’s not private in nature, you may want to check the “Let everyone see this task” so everyone else can see what’s on your plate. Learn more about public tasks.

How do I assign a task to someone else?

When you create a task, select a user’s name from the “Who’s responsible” pulldown menu.

That person will now be assigned that task. They will also get an email letting them know the task was assigned to them.

Is there any way to see the tasks I’ve assigned other people?

Yes. Click on the Tasks tab then click on the “Assigned” link.

You’ll then see a list of all the open tasks you’ve assigned other people. If someone checked off the task and marked it done you won’t see it.

Does Highrise send someone an email when a task is assigned to them?

Yes. When you assign someone a task, that person will get an email letting them know they’ve been assigned a task.

Do I need to set times for tasks?

No. One of the great things about Highrise tasks is they work like you do. Sometimes things happen right at a specific time (e.g. a call at 9am sharp tomorrow). But often you have “stuff” that needs to get done sometime tomorrow or sometime this week or next week. And often, you just have stuff you need to get done at some point.

Highrise lets you gracefully deal with tasks with either hard-and-fast dates/times and tasks (like 9am tomorrow)...

...or suggested time “buckets” (like this week, next week, or later).

Why are my tasks moving?

Tasks marked “Later” always stay marked as later. Tasks with specific date/times (including ones marked simply as today, tomorrow, this week, next week) are updated over time.

You can think of tasks as being on a time-based conveyor belt. Dated/timed items will move based on today’s date. Next week becomes this week. This week becomes overdue. Tomorrow becomes today. Today becomes overdue.

Can I create recurring tasks?

There’s no way to automatically create a recurring task in Highrise but you can do it manually. When you’ve got a task that occurs multiple times, just reenter it with the appropriate time/dates.

What does “Let everyone see this task?” mean?

Highrise tasks can either be private to just you (and the person you assigned it to) or visible to everyone else who’s part of your Highrise account. It’s up to you on a task-by-task basis. If you don’t mind other people seeing a particular task, check the “Let everyone see this task” checkbox when creating or editing the task. People can then select your name on the Tasks tab and they’ll see that task listed along with any other tasks that you’ve said are OK for everyone to see.

How do I get my Highrise tasks to integrate with my Backpack Calendar?

You can view your Highrise tasks in your Backpack Calendar by adding the tasks iCal feed to the Calendar.

Go to your Tasks page and scroll down to the bottom. You'll see a link that says, "Subscribe to your iCalendar task feed."

Copy this link and then follow the directions at this Backpack FAQ about adding an iCalendar to your Backpack Calendar. Also, this movie at the Backpack site will walk you through the process of adding an iCal feed to your Backpack Calendar.