Hierarchy

Phases, tasks, and subtasks

Three row types make up a plan. They differ in one thing — who decides their dates. Get that right and the rest of the chart behaves the way you expect.

The three row types

Tasks are the unit of work. Phases group related tasks into a named span. Subtasks split a task into smaller checklist items that have to live inside their parent task's window.

Phase "Q2 Launch" spans Apr–Jun. Two tasks sit inside; the second task has two subtasks.

Creating each row type

T
Task — click the empty row at the bottom of the chart, or press N anywhere. Drag across the timeline to set its span at creation time.
P
Phase — right-click an existing task and pick Convert to phase. The task becomes a parent and stops carrying its own dates. New child tasks dropped onto this row become its members. Or: create a task, then drag other tasks into it via the sidebar to nest them, then convert the parent to phase.
S
Subtask — indent a task under another task using Tab. The indented task becomes a subtask and its dates clamp inside the parent's window. Shift+Tab outdents back to a task.

Phases don't have their own dates

A phase's span is computed from its children: earliest child start → latest child end. You can't move a phase by dragging its bar directly — the chart will snap it back, because the children still anchor it. Move the tasks inside, and the phase rail follows.

This is the most common confusion. The good news is it's a one-line rule: tasks decide, phases summarize.

Move "Task B" to the right and the phase rail extends with it. The phase has no independent date.

An empty phase is just a label

Without tasks inside, a phase has no dates to roll up from. It still shows in the sidebar as a row, but there's no bar to drag and no span on the timeline. Create the tasks first; the phase fills in around them.

Left: phase with no tasks — nothing to render. Right: add two tasks and the rail appears, sized to their span.

Subtasks live inside their parent

A subtask's dates are clamped to its parent task's window. Drag it past the edge and it snaps back. Resize the parent inward and any subtasks outside the new bounds get pulled in to fit. Subtasks can't have subtasks of their own — the hierarchy stops at one level below task.

One-line recap

Task — has its own dates, can be dragged and resized freely.
Phase — summary bar whose dates roll up from its tasks. Move the tasks, not the phase.
Subtask — a child of a task, clamped inside the parent's window.

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