Slack is a powerful communication platform where teams discuss work. As conversations move on, it is easy to lose track of action items and forget about requests.
This task management guide shows how to create tasks inside your Slack conversations, set deadlines and maintain visibility into what needs to be done.
Manage tasks in your Slack conversations
- Assign a task
Assign work as easily as sending a Slack message. - Automatic follow-ups
Reminders are sent before and after the due date, so you don’t have to send them yourself. - Review outstanding work
See open and overdue tasks across your Slack channels.
Create a task in Slack
The task features in this guide use Chaser, a Slack add-on you can try for free.
To create a task, type /chaser in any channel or thread, add the assignee and due date, then send it.
/chaser @Alex prepare the client review deck by Friday
To convert an existing message into a task, hover over the message and select Convert to Task.
Discussion, files and status updates stay in the task thread.
The assignee selects Acknowledge on the task message to confirm they have seen it.
Automated reminders are posted in the task thread until they acknowledge it. Questions and clarifications can stay in the same thread.
Reminders are posted in the task thread before the due date, on the due date and if the task becomes overdue.
Each reminder stays with the task, alongside its discussion, files and completion updates.
View your task list in Slack
Click Chaser in the Slack sidebar to open the Tasks view. Find tasks assigned to you, tasks you created and tasks you follow.
The list will include tasks from all Slack channels you can access, across different projects, workstreams, teams and external connections. Click on a task to return to the thread with its original conversation.
Group and filter tasks by channel, assignee, tag or due date.
Create recurring tasks
For work that repeats on a schedule, create a recurring task the same way:
/chaser @Lucas Update the CRM every Friday at 3pm
Chaser’s AI detects how it should repeat, and you are asked to confirm it.
Each occurrence is posted as a new task message, with its own due date and reminders. In the CRM example, Lucas gets a separate task for each Friday’s update. Completing this week’s task leaves the weekly schedule in place.
Create tasks in bulk
Use Chaser checklists to create several related tasks at once. They’re a great fit for client or team member onboarding, offboarding and other processes with repeatable steps.
Use placeholder variables for details such as the client name or launch date. Fill in those details and review the tasks before you post them. You can always adjust owners or dates for a particular batch of tasks.
For a checklist named new client, type:
/chaser new client
Each item becomes a separate task in the channel or thread you choose.
A checklist can also run on a schedule, such as every week.
Group related tasks with tags
Add +important, +billing or another tag when you create a task:
/chaser @Maya send the client invoice by Friday +billing
Use tags to group a type of work that appears in several channels. For example, a +billing tag lets you review invoices across client channels without moving those tasks out of their original conversations. Filter by tag in the Chaser dashboard to see the group.
Track time on a task
To track time spent on tasks, open the task menu and select Log Time. Enter the hours and minutes spent on the task.
You can log time multiple times, and different contributors can log time toward the same task as well.
Logged time is included in reports for billing and project review.
Automatic status reports
Schedule a status report in any channel. It includes overdue tasks, tasks awaiting acknowledgement and recent changes.
Choose a schedule for the channel, such as a Monday morning summary. Or you can have the report arrive only when something is overdue.
Project management in Slack
You can use Slack for end-to-end project management. Use channels to organize the work and a canvas for the project brief.
Manage tasks on a Kanban board or calendar, and create advanced custom reports. See the complete guide for project management in Slack.
Task management in Slack FAQ
Do assignees need to install Chaser?
No. Once Chaser is added to your Slack workspace, it is available to everyone there.
Can I assign Slack tasks to clients or partners?
Yes. People in a Slack Connect channel can receive, acknowledge and complete tasks. They can see only tasks in channels they can access.
Can Slack be used for project management too?
Yes. Create a channel for the project, keep the brief in a canvas and manage the work in task threads.
How is Chaser different from Slack Lists?
Slack Lists supports task tracking in a separate list view, similar to third-party work management software. Chaser supports managing tasks directly in your messages and conversations.
