Automatically update Sub-Tasks when parent is changed

Zach Bru.

I am looking for a way to automatically update the completion status of sub tasks if the parent task is updated to completed. I have a project plan that varies based on how complicated the client is. If the client is large and complicated each task needs to be signed off individually, but if it is a small client, entire phases can be signed off at the same time. If I run an automation to update my "state" field when it is changed to completed it doesn't give me the option to only update the tasks under the overall phase. Is there a way to only update the sub-tasks and not all tasks? For some reason it will not let me select Ideas & Feature requests as a category, so it is in SmartSheet Basics.

SmartLew

Hey Zach,

How about a helper column which referenced the parent row on all sub-tasks?

Add a column "State Helper" or similar. And in this have the formula =parent(state@row)

This will automatically mirror the status of that parent row in the helper column.

Then you can set an automation that says, when "State Helper" changes, update the cell Value in "State".

You can use conditions to create different routes based on the status. You'll have to use a free text value to update the cell with, but that's ok as you will just mirror the state helper value.

This way, you can also the subtasks manually also.

In the scenrio that you individually complete subtasks, what would you be doing with your parent row? Would you leave this and mark as "complete" or similar when all subtasks were completed

Let me know!

Zach Bru.

The idea is to select completed on the parent level, and then having all sub-tasks move to the same status while also leaving the ability to individually complete sub tasks for different clients. The tasks have dependencies assigned to them to automatically fill in a due date if that complicates things further.

Paul Newcome

Do you have something that definitively indicates whether the project is less complex and can allow the parent row to run everything vs needing to check rows off individually?

If not, I suggest using a Sheet Summary field. Maybe a dropdown that has the different levels of complexity or even a Yes/No or checkbox. Then you can insert a hidden checkbox column on the sheet with this column formula:

=IF([Sheet Summary Field]# = "Easy", IF(PARENT(Status@row) = "Complete", 1))

Then you would set up a change cell automation to change the cell value in the status column to "Complete" whenever this helper column is checked.

SmartLew

Hey Zach,

How about a helper column which referenced the parent row on all sub-tasks?

Add a column "State Helper" or similar. And in this have the formula =parent(state@row)

This will automatically mirror the status of that parent row in the helper column.

Then you can set an automation that says, when "State Helper" changes, update the cell Value in "State".

You can use conditions to create different routes based on the status. You'll have to use a free text value to update the cell with, but that's ok as you will just mirror the state helper value.

This way, you can also the subtasks manually also.

In the scenrio that you individually complete subtasks, what would you be doing with your parent row? Would you leave this and mark as "complete" or similar when all subtasks were completed

Let me know!