Overview

Managing complex tasks often requires breaking them down into smaller, more manageable steps. That’s where Subitems in monday.com come in. Subitems help you structure your projects better by creating a clear hierarchy of tasks and subtasks—so nothing gets missed.

This article explains what Subitems are, how to use them, and best practices to keep your workflows clean and organized.

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🔍 What Are Subitems?

Subitems are secondary items nested under a main task (Item) on your monday.com board. They allow you to:

• Break down a task into steps or phases
• Assign and track each subtask individually
• Add specific details like deadlines, assignees, and statuses

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🛠️ How to Add Subitems

Add Subitems to a Task:

1. Open the board and locate the item (task) you want to break down.
2. Hover over the item and click the “Subitems” icon (a small stacked square or “+” sign).
3. Click “+ Add Subitem”.
4. Enter a name for your subtask and press Enter.

Repeat this to create multiple subitems under the same parent item.

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🧱 Customizing Subitems

Subitems have their own columns, just like main items. You can track information such as:

• Person (assignee)
• Status (to-do, in progress, done)
• Date or Timeline
• Priority
• Files

🔔 Tip: Customize subitem columns by clicking the + icon at the top of the subitem column section.

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🔁 Subitem Automation

Subitems support automations to save time and improve consistency.

Examples:

• When subitem status changes to Done, notify team lead
• When all subitems are done, change the main item status to Complete

You can access subitem-specific automation recipes via:

⚙️ Automate > Add Automation > Subitems

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👀 Viewing and Managing Subitems

Collapse/Expand:

• Click the triangle icon next to a main item to expand or collapse subitems for easier navigation.

Board Views:

• Gantt View: Subitems appear under their parent task and contribute to the full timeline.
• Calendar View: Subitems show based on their individual dates.
• Kanban View: Currently, only main items are displayed.

✅ Note: Subitems are visible in Dashboards, My Work, and Search Everything, based on user permissions.

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🔄 Syncing Subitems with Main Item

By default, subitems act independently of their parent item. However, you can use automations or mirror columns to sync information like status or progress.

Example:

• Use a “Rollup Progress” widget on a dashboard to track how many subitems are complete per item.

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✅ Best Practices

• Use subitems for task steps, not for unrelated work.
• Avoid too many nested levels; monday.com only supports one level of subitems.
• Keep subitem naming clear and consistent.
• Use automations to reduce manual updates between subitems and items.

Need Help?

If you need help configuring subitems or setting up automation workflows, contact your workspace admin or reach out to monday.com support.