The Essence
A Task is the atomic unit of work to be done—a reminder, an action item, a to-do that someone needs to complete. Tasks live throughout HubSpot: on Contacts, Companies, Deals, Tickets, Projects, and custom objects.
They're the "don't forget to do this" mechanism that keeps work from falling through cracks. Unlike Projects (which organize initiatives) or Tickets (which track support requests), Tasks are simple: something needs to happen, someone is responsible, there's a due date.
"Tasks are the atomic unit of work to be done. When Tasks are associated to records and visible in timelines, the context is ever-present. This Task exists because someone needs something. Completing it means that need was addressed."
Unified View Contribution
Team Enablement
Primary contributor. Tasks are how work gets assigned and tracked. Task queues, due dates, and completion rates directly measure team execution.
Customer View
Supporting contributor. Tasks logged on Contact/Company records show what actions have been taken. Task history contributes to activity timeline visibility.
Business Context
Supporting contributor. Task patterns reveal operational efficiency—completion rates, average time to complete, overdue rates.
Revenue View
Minimal contributor. Tasks don't directly track revenue, though tasks on Deals contribute to deal velocity understanding.
Sarah's Story
Throughout Sarah's engagement with Value-First, Tasks kept the work moving:
Week 1 — After Discovery Call: Ryan created a Task: "Send Sarah the Value Path assessment link" - Type: Email - Due: Tomorrow at 9am - Associated to: Sarah's Contact record
When Ryan completed the Task, it appeared in Sarah's Contact timeline. The next day, a workflow detected Sarah hadn't completed the assessment—it automatically created another Task: "Follow up with Sarah re: assessment" assigned to Ryan.
Week 3 — Implementation Planning: Multiple Tasks were created for the kickoff: - "Schedule kickoff meeting with Sarah and team" (To-Do) - "Prepare Chicago requirements document" (To-Do) - "Call Sarah to discuss Detroit timeline" (Call)
These Tasks appeared in Ryan's task queue, organized by due date. He could work through them systematically, completing each one as done.
Month 2 — Ongoing Work: Tasks appeared throughout the engagement: - "Review Signal pipeline configuration" — created by workflow when testing completed - "Call Sarah for bi-weekly check-in" — recurring Task every two weeks - "Follow up on ERP integration question" — created from Ticket escalation
In her portal, Sarah didn't see the internal Tasks—but she saw the results: timely follow-ups, nothing forgotten, consistent communication.
What It Holds
Subject & Body
Type & Priority
Status
Due Date & Owner
Queue & Associations
Common Patterns
Follow-Up Pattern
Sequence Pattern
Handoff Pattern
Queue Pattern
Value-First vs. Industrial-Age
| ✗ Traditional Thinking | ✓ Value-First Thinking |
|---|---|
| Tasks = Sales rep to-do list | Tasks = Relationship action items |
| Task completion = Activity metric | Task completion = Promise kept |
| Overdue tasks = Rep performance issue | Overdue tasks = Customer experience risk |
| Tasks live in separate system | Tasks live in CRM, connected to context |
| Task volume = Productivity | Task effectiveness = Value delivered |
Why This Shift Matters
When Tasks are disconnected from customer context, they become abstract to-do items. Complete the task, check the box, move on. The "why" gets lost.
When Tasks are associated to records and visible in timelines, the context is ever-present. This Task exists because Sarah needs something. Completing it means Sarah's need was addressed. The association creates accountability to the relationship, not just to the list.
In Practice
Implementation details
Key Properties
Key Properties
Native HubSpot Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
hs_task_subject Native | Text | Task title that appears in queues |
hs_task_body Native | Text | Additional notes and context |
hs_task_status Native | Enumeration | NOT_STARTED, IN_PROGRESS, WAITING, COMPLETED |
hs_task_priority Native | Enumeration | NONE, LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH |
hs_task_type Native | Enumeration | CALL, EMAIL, TODO |
hs_timestamp Native | DateTime | Due date and time |
hubspot_owner_id Native | User | Assigned owner |
hs_queue_id Native | Queue | Associated task queue |
Current Limitations
No Custom Properties: Use naming conventions and the body field for categorization.
No Custom Types: Only Call, Email, To-Do available. Use queues or subject prefixes to categorize.
No Pipelines: Tasks are binary (Complete/Not Complete). For staged work, use Projects or Tickets.
Task vs. Other Objects
Task: Simple action item to complete
Ticket: Reactive support request from customer
Project: Bounded initiative with multiple Tasks
Deliverable: Trackable output with acceptance criteria