Discover how to automatically set due dates in Monday.com with our easy-to-follow guide, perfect for impressing your team and bosses.

Introduction

Managing tasks efficiently is crucial for maintaining productivity and meeting deadlines. Monday.com, a leading project management tool, offers robust features that can be customized to fit your workflow. One common requirement is setting automatic due dates for tasks to ensure timely completion without manual intervention. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up automatic due dates in Monday.com, leveraging task automation to streamline your project management.

Why Automatic Due Dates Matter

Automatic due dates enhance task management by:

Reducing Manual Effort: Eliminates the need to manually assign due dates for each task.
Ensuring Consistency: Maintains uniformity in task scheduling across projects.
Improving Accountability: Clearly defined deadlines help team members stay accountable.
Boosting Productivity: Frees up time to focus on more critical aspects of the project.

Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Automatic Due Dates

1. Access Your Monday.com Workspace

Start by logging into your Monday.com account and navigating to the workspace where you want to set up task automation.

2. Create or Select a Board

Choose an existing board that you’d like to automate or create a new one tailored to your project’s needs.

3. Add a Due Date Column

Ensure your board has a Due Date column. If not, add one by:

Clicking the + sign next to your existing columns.
Selecting Date from the column types.
Naming it Due Date for clarity.

4. Set Up Automation

Navigate to the Automations panel to create a new automation rule.

Click on Automate in the top right corner of your board.
Choose Create Custom Automation to tailor the rule to your needs.

5. Define the Automation Trigger

Select a trigger that initiates the setting of the due date. Common triggers include:

When a task is created
When status changes to something

For this guide, we’ll use When a task is created.

6. Configure the Action

Set the action to automatically assign a due date based on the creation date.

Choose Set due date as the action.
Instead of selecting a fixed date, use dynamic date options like Today or Today + X days.

Note: As discussed in the Monday.com community, using “Today” ensures the due date is set relative to the task creation date.

7. Apply to Subtasks (If Applicable)

If your project involves creating subtasks:

Ensure each subtask has a Due Date column.
Repeat the automation setup for each subtask, ensuring due dates inherit from the parent task.

8. Test the Automation

Create a sample task to verify that the automation sets the due date correctly.

Ensure the due date reflects the current date or the specified offset (e.g., today + 3 days).
Confirm that subtasks, if any, also receive the appropriate due dates.

9. Troubleshoot Common Issues

If the due dates are not setting as expected:

Double-Check Automation Rules: Ensure the trigger and action are correctly configured.
Review Date Settings: Confirm that the date columns are set to receive dynamic dates.
Consult Monday.com Support: If issues persist, refer to Monday.com’s help center or reach out to their support team for assistance.

Advanced Tips for Effective Task Automation

Use Relative Dates: Instead of fixed dates, use relative dates like “Today + 2 days” to keep due dates flexible.
Integrate with Other Tools: Connect Monday.com with calendars or other project management tools to sync due dates seamlessly.
Leverage Automation Recipes: Utilize pre-built automation recipes available in Monday.com to simplify the setup process.
Regularly Update Automations: As your project evolves, revisit and adjust automation rules to align with new workflows and requirements.

Conclusion

Setting up automatic due dates in Monday.com can significantly enhance your project management efficiency. By leveraging task automation, you ensure that deadlines are consistently met without the need for manual date entry. While there are some limitations, such as automating due dates for subtasks dynamically, the steps outlined above provide a solid foundation for optimizing your workflow. Embrace task automation to empower your team and achieve your project goals with ease.

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