Appearance
Boards
A board is a workspace for a project, team, or area of focus. Each board is made up of lists (columns) that hold tasks (the work items you move between them).
You can view the same board in four different ways — Kanban, List, Calendar, and Timeline — without ever changing the underlying data.
Creating a Board
There are several ways to create a new board:
| How | Where |
|---|---|
| Click + next to Boards in the sidebar | Top-level boards |
| Press Alt+B | Anywhere in the app |
| Right-click a folder → Add Board | Inside a specific folder |
| + next to Boards → From Template | Start from a saved template |
| Command Palette → search "new board" | Anywhere in the app |
Type a name, press Enter, and you're in. New boards come with three default lists: To Do, In Progress, and Done.
Structure
Every board follows the same hierarchy:
- Board — the project or workspace
- Lists — stages in the workflow (each list is either
openordone) - Tasks — work items that move between lists
Lists define the flow of work. When you drag a task into a done list, Truetask automatically marks it complete. When you drag it back out, it's marked incomplete again.
TIP
Simple boards work best with three to five lists. Common patterns include To Do → In Progress → Done, or Backlog → Planned → In Progress → Review → Done for more detailed workflows.
Working with Lists
Add a list
Click + Add List on the far right of the board.
Rename
Click the list name at the top and edit inline.
Describe
Click the area below the list name to add an optional Markdown description — useful for explaining what that stage means.
Reorder
Drag a list by its header left or right.
List menu
Click the three-dot menu on a list header for:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Rename | Edit the list name |
| Description | Add or edit the list's description |
| Color | Set an accent color for the list |
| Mark as done | Toggle whether this is an open or done list |
| Move all cards | Send every task in this list to another list |
| Archive all cards | Archive every task in this list at once |
| Delete | Remove the list (you'll be asked what to do with any tasks) |
Every board needs a done list
Tasks need somewhere to go when they're complete. If you delete your only done list, Truetask will prompt you to mark another list as "done."
Board Toolbar
The board toolbar sits below the main toolbar and holds view-specific controls — view switcher, filters, display preferences, search, and more. See Board Toolbar for the full reference.
The Board Title Menu
Click the board title in the top toolbar to open its action menu:
| Action | Who can use it |
|---|---|
| AI Context | Admins (when AI is enabled) — set board purpose and preferences for AI features |
| Clone | Admins — create a copy of the board's structure |
| Save as Template | Admins — reuse this structure for future boards |
| Export | Admins — download the board as JSON |
| Archived Tasks | Editors+ — view and restore archived tasks |
| Archive | Admins — deactivate the board (data preserved) |
| Delete | Admins — permanently remove the board |
Right-clicking a board in the sidebar gives you the same actions, minus AI Context and Archived Tasks.
Cloning a Board
Cloning creates an empty copy of a board's structure — same lists, tags, and custom fields, but no tasks.
| How | Steps |
|---|---|
| Board title menu | Open the board → title menu → Clone |
| Sidebar | Right-click the board → Clone |
| AI Assistant | Ask Claude or another MCP client to clone it |
The clone dialog lets you:
- Set a name — defaults to "{Original} (Copy)"
- Include AI context — optionally copy the board's AI context settings
A clone copies: lists, tags, custom field definitions, and saved filters. It does not copy tasks or comments.
Board Templates
Save a board structure once and reuse it forever.
Save as template
From the board title menu, choose Save as Template. You can:
- Name the template (defaults to the board name)
- Add a description
- Share with all users (Admins only) — makes it available to everyone on the workspace
Create from a template
Hover over Boards in the sidebar and click the template icon, or use the + menu → From Template. Pick a template, name the new board, and you're done.
Manage templates
In Settings → Board Templates, Admins can view, edit, or delete any template — both personal and shared.
Good template candidates
Recurring project types, client onboarding boards, sprint boards, or any structure your team creates repeatedly.
Folders
Organize boards into a hierarchy. Folders can nest inside other folders.
Create a folder
| How | Steps |
|---|---|
| Sidebar button | Hover over Boards → click the folder + icon |
| Keyboard | Alt+F |
| Right-click | A folder → Add Subfolder |
Reorganize
- Expand / collapse — click the arrow (state is remembered per user)
- Rename — right-click → Rename
- Move a board or folder — drag it to another folder, or to the sidebar root
Deleting a folder moves its children to the root — nothing is lost.
Sharing and Roles
Click Share in the top toolbar to manage who can see and edit the board.
Every member has one of four board roles:
| Role | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Owner | Full control. Only the board creator has this role and it can't be transferred from the Share dialog. |
| Admin | Full control — same as Owner, but assignable. |
| Editor | Work on tasks: create, edit, move, comment, and archive. Default for new members. |
| Viewer | Read-only. Can see the board, tasks, and comments but can't change anything. |
Capability matrix
| Owner | Admin | Editor | Viewer | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View board and tasks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Create / edit / move / complete tasks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Add comments | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Archive tasks | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Manage lists | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Rename / archive / delete board | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Clone board / save as template | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Export board | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Manage automations | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
| Share board / change roles | ✓ | ✓ | — | — |
Adding members
- Click Share in the top toolbar
- Click Add Member and search by name or email
- New members default to Editor — change the role with the dropdown next to their name
Changing roles
Use the role dropdown in the Share dialog. Only Owners and Admins can change roles, and nobody can change their own.
Removing members
Click the × next to a member. If you remove yourself, Truetask will confirm first — you'll immediately lose access to the board.
Site-wide roles override board roles
Site Owners and Admins always have full access to every board, even if they aren't a member. Board roles only matter for Leads, Users, and Guests at the site level.
Archiving and Deleting Boards
Archive a board to hide it from the sidebar without losing any data. Archived boards are accessible from Settings → Boards (Admins only) and can be restored at any time.
Delete permanently removes the board and all of its tasks, comments, and attachments. This can't be undone.
What's Next?
- Board Toolbar — views, filters, and display preferences
- Tasks — every task feature in detail
- Collaboration — how sharing, mentions, and notifications work together