Subtasks

Subtasks help you break a task into smaller, clearer steps without losing the bigger picture.

They can be used for something as simple as a grocery list, or for organizing the different steps of a larger project. A subtask can be a simple action, a note, a reminder, a web link, or a link to another CROSSNote task.

This makes subtasks useful both for quick everyday lists and for more complex project structures.

You can use them to capture what needs to happen next, keep related information close to the task, or create a more detailed path through a larger piece of work.

Complete and review subtasks

Each subtask can be checked off when it is completed.

Completed subtasks can be shown or hidden, so you can choose whether you want a clean view of what is still open or a fuller view of what has already been done.

This is useful when a task has many steps, or when you want to review your progress without cluttering the current view.

Turn a subtask into a full task

A subtask can become more than a checklist item.

When a subtask grows into something that needs its own space, you can turn it into a full CROSSNote task. This lets you start small and expand only when needed, without having to decide everything upfront.

This is useful for ideas, follow-up actions, project steps, or anything that begins as a small note but later needs its own details, planning, notes, or attachments.

Add web links

Subtasks can include regular web links.

You can use them to keep relevant websites, documents, references, articles, or external resources directly connected to the task you are working on.

When a subtask contains a web link, CROSSNote can recognize it and make it easier to open from the subtask row.

Link to other CROSSNote tasks

Subtasks can also link to other tasks inside CROSSNote.

This allows you to connect related work without duplicating it. A main task can point to another task, a project step, a planning note, a decision, or a related action that deserves its own space.

When a CROSSNote task link is added, it can be shown as a readable linked item instead of displaying the technical link itself.

Build connected projects

CROSSNote gives your work a natural structure: Area, List, Task, and Subtask.

This lets you organize your life from broad areas down to specific actions, while still keeping enough flexibility for real projects. A task can contain simple subtasks, but it can also include links to other CROSSNote tasks that belong to the same project, support a specific step, or hold related context.

This means a larger project does not need to live inside one long task. It can become a connected set of tasks, references, decisions, follow-up actions, and project branches.

Each linked task remains independent, but it can still be opened directly from the place where it becomes relevant.

Reorder subtasks

Subtasks can be reordered using the ordering button at the top right of the section.

This lets you adapt the order as the task changes: you can move the next important step higher, group related subtasks together, or reorganize a task as it becomes clearer.

Navigate without losing context

When you open a linked CROSSNote task, you can move into that task while keeping a clear path back to where you came from.

This makes internal links useful for exploring related work without losing the original context.

A flexible workspace inside each task

Subtasks are not limited to simple checklists.

They can act as actions, references, links, project branches, reminders, or starting points for new tasks. This gives each CROSSNote task a flexible internal structure that can stay simple when the task is simple, and grow when the work becomes more complex.