TL;DR: To schedule tasks and projects in Wrike, open the item and click the Date button (or Set date), then set a start date and due date. You can also drag items into place on the Gantt Chart or edit dates directly in Table view.
Hey Community! 👋
One of the first things you'll want to do after creating work in Wrike is put it on a timeline. Scheduling tells your team when work starts, when it's due, and how long it should take. Let's walk through how to do it, step by step.
What "Scheduling" Means in Wrike
When you schedule a task or project, you set three things:
Field | What it means |
|---|
Start date | When the work should begin |
Due date | When the work should be finished |
Duration | How many working days the work takes |
Wrike calculates duration automatically from your start and due dates. You can also set the duration and let Wrike fill in the rest.
How to Schedule Tasks and Projects
Scheduling works the same way for both tasks and projects. Pick whichever method matches where you're already working.
From Item View
- Open the task or project.
- Click the Date button (also shown as Set date).
- Choose a Start date and Due date.
- Set the Duration in days if you'd like.
- Click Save.
From Table View
- Go to the folder, project, or space where the item lives.
- Switch to Table view.
- Make sure the Start date and Due date columns are visible.
- Double-click the date cell and pick your dates.
On the Gantt Chart
- Switch to Gantt Chart view.
- If an item has no dates yet, it appears at the bottom of the timeline (this is called a "backlogged" item).
- Click and drag it onto the timeline to set the dates, or drag the edges to adjust duration.
Let parent items calculate dates automatically (date rollup)
Instead of setting dates by hand, you can have a parent item calculate its dates from the items inside it. This works for both tasks with subtasks and projects with tasks. When it's on:
- Start date = earliest start date among its subitems
- Due date = latest due date among its subitems
To turn it on:
- Open your folder or project in Table view.
- Click the three-dot menu on the Start date or Due date column header.
- Hover over Calculate subitems.
- Choose the scope: Tasks and Projects, Tasks only, or Projects only.
📝 Please Note: This method is available on Business and above plans. If you later edit a parent item's dates by hand (for example, dragging it on the Gantt Chart), Wrike turns rollup off for that item, since you're overriding the calculated dates.
Simple Real-World Example
Say you're planning a Product Page Launch project due on Friday.
- Set the project due date to Friday.
- Inside it, schedule each task:
- Write page copy: Mon to Tue
- Design hero banner: Wed
- Publish page: Thu to Fri
Each task now has its own timeline, and the project timeline covers all of them. Everyone can now see exactly what happens and when. ✅
Good to Know 💡
- Removing a date changes the task. Clearing the Start date makes it a milestone (due date only). Clearing the Due date clears both dates and makes it backlogged (unscheduled), though its duration is kept.
- Working days only is on by default. When this option is checked in the date picker, Wrike skips weekends (and any non-working days in your work schedule) when calculating dates. Uncheck it if you need work scheduled on a weekend or holiday.
- Assignees affect dates. If you assign a task to someone, Wrike uses that person's work schedule. A task may shift if it lands on their time off or a non-working day.
- Changing project dates does not move the tasks inside. Scheduling flows upward (tasks to project), not downward. To move many tasks at once, use Shift dates in Table view.
- Task duration maxes out at 1,095 days. For anything longer, use a project instead.
- You need the right access. All users (except Collaborators, Contributors, and Viewers) can schedule tasks and projects. If your date fields are grayed out, your user role likely doesn't allow editing - check with your space admin.
Learn More 📚
Want the full details straight from the source? The Wrike Help Center breaks it all down:
Related posts in this series:
📌 Track progress once your work is scheduled: How to use project progress in Wrike
📌 Add context to your tasks and projects: How to add a description to a task in Wrike
📌 Find your scheduled work: How to find work assigned to you in Wrike
Over to You! 💬
How do you like to schedule your work: Item View, Table view, or dragging things around on the Gantt Chart? Share your go-to method or any scheduling tips in the comments.
We're all learning together! 🙌
