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Last updated August 4, 2026

Subtask checklists

A checklist breaks a Task into smaller subtasks you can tick off as you go. Use it to track the steps in a Task without creating a separate Task for each one.

Where checklists live

Checklists sit in the subtasks section of the single Task view. Open a Task and you will see its collapsible sections – description, subtasks, attachments, and activity. Expand subtasks to see the checklist for that Task, or collapse it to keep the view tidy while you work elsewhere. Once a checklist has entries, the section header shows a progress count such as 2/5, so you can gauge a Task at a glance even with the section collapsed.

Adding subtasks

Use Add in the subtasks section to add one line per step. Each line is a subtask that belongs to the Task you are in. Add as many as you need to cover the work.

You can shape the list as it grows:

  • Drag the handle at the left of a subtask to reorder the list.
  • Indent a subtask from its row menu to nest it under the one above; up to three levels are available. Outdent moves it back out.
  • Edit or delete a subtask from the same row menu.

Checking them off

Tick each subtask as you finish it. Each subtask is ticked on its own – ticking a parent does not tick the ones nested under it. The checklist and its progress count give you a running view of what is done and what is left, without leaving the single Task view.

On a shared Cowork List, the Owner and Members can manage the checklist; Guests can see it but not change it. Subtask changes are recorded in the Task’s activity stream, and a locked Task’s checklist is frozen.

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