Selecting the right task type

Relay provides eight built-in task types. Which one should you use?

If you are creating a task just for yourself, the Task type lets you define the task and keep track of progress.

If you are managing a task for someone else to do, Collaboration - simple lets you set up and send a task to them. Once they have done the task, they can respond to you, and you can validate their response to check that the task has completed OK. Collaboration - full has similar functionality but is more formal: it asks the recipient whether they want to accept the task, lets you track progress more precisely and gives control over whether the task needs to be validated. If you don't know you need this, stick with Collaboration - simple.

If you just want to send something to someone (like a note, or some files), and you don't need anything back from them other than optionally a confirmation that they have received it, use Send. The confirmation is tailorable, and you can use Send if you need to ask someone for sign off. The confirmation can have a decline option, so you can use Send for things like meeting invitations, with a separate Send task for each invitee.

Sometimes you need to work with one or more other people, but it isn't a definite task that you assign to one person. Use Group chat to set up a shared chat area. If you want to publish some content or files, optionally allowing others to update them (like a project files folder), use Share.

When you are putting a plan together, it can be useful to arrange tasks in groups. If the group-level represents an identifiable tasks that is then broken down into sub tasks (such as "Prepare dinner"), use Task so you can track when the group-level tasks starts and finishes. However, if you just want to group tasks together (such as "Jack's tasks"), use Outline which does not start and finish and is not included in dependency checks.

Lastly, if you want somewhere to keep notes for yourself, use Notes. Notes does not start and finish, and is not included in dependency checks, so it's a good option if you want to keep notes associated with your plan.

Feature matrix

The table below describes the features that are available in each of the built-in task types.

Each of the task types can be defined, included in the plan, support sub tasks, and provide a full activity log.

All the task types except for Outline and Notes have a task life cycle (they come to an end), and because of this they are included in dependency processing.  Group chat and Share have a simple task life cycle that always starts "in progress", but can be finished to end the chat or sharing.

Collaboration - simple, Collaboration - full and Send involve assigning work to a partner, allow you to send a request including content and/or files as part of that assignment, and let you set up reminders to chase the work in on time. Collaboration - full has a formal partner process, requiring them to explicitly agree to the task and tell you when they are starting it. Collaboration - simple and Send also track task progress, and allow the partner to decline the task, but emphasise task completion.  Collaboration - simple and Collaboration - full allow you to receive a response back from the partner, which can be content and/or files, and validate it. Send sends back confirmations if required, which can be presented to the recipient as a sign off.

Task, Collaboration - simple, Collaboration - full, Send and Group chat allow you to send and receive messages and files with multiple people in chat. Outline and Notes have chat too, but it is not shareable. Share does not support chat, but allows you to share content and/or files with multiple people, optionally allowing them to edit.

Each of the task types is also customisable. Use this selection guide to pick the best task type as a basis for your customisation.