Assign tasks from Google Docs

If you use Google Docs on a work or school account, you can assign tasks to yourself or other people in your organization. Tasks sync with your default list in Google Tasks, but you can move them into different lists.

Assign a task in Google Docs

  1. Open a document in the Google Docs app.
  2. Tap Edit Edit.
  3. Tap the part of the screen where you want to add the list.
  4. At the bottom right, tap Lists Bulleted list.
  5. Tap Checklist .
  6. Enter a task in the checklist.
  7. To the left of the checklist item, tap Add to Tasks .
  8. In the "Assignee" field, enter the name of the user you want to assign the task to.
    1. You can assign a task to yourself or other users in your domain.
  9. Optional: To set a date for the task, tap Add Date and pick a date from the calendar.
  10. At the top right, tap Add Checkmark.

Important:

  • When you assign a task to someone, they receive an email notification that includes your email address. They can view the task in their personal Tasks list and on their Google Calendar if the task has a set date. Learn more about shared tasks.
  • Anonymous users can't assign or edit Tasks in a Google Doc.

View or edit a task in Docs

  1. Open a document with assigned tasks in the Google Docs app.
  2. Tap Edit Edit.
  3. On the left of an assigned checklist item, tap the assignee’s avatar.
    • Tip: If a task is completed, its title will be crossed out.
  4. At the bottom, tap Edit Edit.
    • If you edit the user the task is assigned to, both the previous assignee and the new assignee will receive an email notification.
  5. Optional: You can also tap Open in Tasks Open in new (pop out)  to edit the task in the Tasks app.

Mark a task complete in Docs

  1. Open a document with assigned tasks in the Google Docs app.
  2. Tap Edit Edit.
  3. Find an assigned checklist item.
  4. Tap the checkbox in the doc.
    • If a task is marked as completed in the doc, it'll show as completed in the assignee’s personal Tasks list and they’ll get an email notification.

Delete a task in Docs

  1. Open a document with assigned tasks in the Google Docs app.
  2. Tap Edit Edit.
  3. On the left of an assigned checklist item, tap the assignee’s avatar.
  4. At the bottom, tap Delete Remove and then Confirm.

Tips:

  • If a task is deleted in the doc, it won't appear in the assignee’s personal Tasks list. If the task wasn’t already completed, the assignee will receive an email notification.
  • If a checklist item is deleted in the doc, but the task isn’t deleted first, it'll still appear in the assignee's personal Tasks list.

Manage updates to tasks in Docs

On the icon to the left of the checklist item, a blue dot may appear. This can happen when:

  • Someone updates the checklist item in the doc but doesn’t update the task.
  • The assignee of a task updates the task title in Tasks, but doesn’t update the checklist text in the doc.
  • Someone reverts the document to an earlier version.

To fix the issue and remove the blue dot:

  1. Tap on the task with a blue dot.
  2. At the bottom right of the pop up window, tap Update.

Tip: A blue dot may also appear on a task icon if the assignee updates or deletes the task in their personal Tasks list, but doesn’t have edit access to the doc.

  1. To fix this, tap on the blue dot and tap Yes.
  2. To prevent this, make sure the assignee has edit access to the doc.

Related resources

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