> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.statisfy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Task Dependencies & Auto-Cascade Dates
> Learn how task dependencies work, how auto-cascade automatically shifts dates, and how to manage blocking relationships in your projects.
Task dependencies let you define the order in which tasks must be completed. When Task B is **blocked by** Task A, Task B cannot start until Task A is finished. With **auto-cascade dates** enabled, changing a task's dates automatically ripples through dependent tasks, subtasks, and parent tasks — keeping your entire project schedule in sync.
## Prerequisites
* An existing project open in the **Manage > Projects** section
* At least two sibling tasks (tasks sharing the same parent) to create dependencies between
* To use auto-cascade, enable it via the **Customize** dropdown in the project header (see [Enabling Auto-Cascade](#enabling-auto-cascade))
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## How Dependencies Work
A dependency is a "blocked by" relationship between two tasks. If Task B depends on Task A:
* Task A is the **blocker** (must finish first)
* Task B is the **dependent** (waits for the blocker)
* Task B's start date is always at least one day after Task A's due date
A task can have multiple blockers and multiple dependents, forming a dependency chain.
***
## Adding and Removing Dependencies
1. Open a task by clicking on it in the project task grid
2. Scroll to the **Relationships** section
3. Use the **Blocked By** tab to add tasks that must finish before this one
4. Use the **Dependents** tab to see which tasks are waiting on this one
5. To remove a dependency, click the remove icon next to the linked task
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## Dependency Constraints
Not all tasks can be linked. The following rules are enforced:
| Constraint | Description |
| ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Same project | Both tasks must belong to the same project |
| Same parent | Both tasks must share the same parent — only sibling tasks can be linked |
| No self-dependency | A task cannot depend on itself |
| No circular chains | Circular references (e.g., A blocks B, B blocks C, C blocks A) are prevented |
The **same-parent constraint** is the most common reason a dependency cannot be created. If you need to link tasks at different levels of the hierarchy, consider restructuring your tasks so they share a common parent.
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## Auto-Cascade Dates
Auto-cascade dates is a per-project setting that controls whether date changes propagate automatically through your task structure. When enabled, you don't need to manually adjust every task when the schedule shifts.
### Enabling Auto-Cascade
1. Open your project
2. Click the **Customize** dropdown in the project header
3. Toggle **Auto-cascade Dates** on
You can enable or disable auto-cascade at any time. When disabled, date changes only affect the task you edit — no propagation occurs.
### What Happens When Dates Change
With auto-cascade enabled, date changes propagate through five scenarios. Each scenario can trigger the others, creating a complete cascade through your project.
When you change the **project's start date**, all task dates shift by the same number of days. Both start dates and due dates move together, preserving every task's duration.
**Example:** Moving the project start from January 1 to January 6 shifts every task forward by 5 days.
Before you save, a shift indicator below the start date field shows how many days tasks will move (e.g., "Tasks will be shifted forward by 5 days"). The project's due date also shifts by the same amount automatically.
When you change a **task's start date**, all of its subtasks shift by the same delta. Both start and due dates move together, preserving each subtask's duration. This applies recursively — grandchildren shift by the same amount.
**Example:** If a parent task's start date moves forward by 3 days, all subtasks and their children also move forward by 3 days.
When a **blocker task's due date** changes, each dependent task recalculates its start date:
* **New start date** = latest blocker due date + 1 day
* **Duration is preserved** — the due date shifts by the same amount as the start date
If a dependent has multiple blockers, it waits for all of them. The cascade continues through the full dependency chain — each dependent is only recalculated after all of its blockers have been finalized.
**Example:** Task B is blocked by Task A (due Jan 10) and Task C (due Jan 12). Task B's start date is Jan 13 (one day after the latest blocker). If Task C's due date moves to Jan 15, Task B's start becomes Jan 16.
When any child task's end date changes — whether from a direct edit or a cascade — the **parent task's end date automatically adjusts** to match its latest child. This continues up the parent chain.
At each level, if the parent's end date changes, its sibling dependents are also recascaded.
**Example:** A parent task has three subtasks ending on Jan 5, Jan 8, and Jan 10. If the Jan 10 subtask shifts to Jan 15, the parent's end date updates to Jan 15. If the parent has dependents, those are recalculated too.
After all task cascades complete, the **project's due date updates** automatically to reflect the latest task end date across all tasks.
### Duration Preservation
Auto-cascade always preserves task duration. When a task's start date shifts, its due date shifts by the same amount — the number of days between them stays the same.
### Visual Feedback
When a cascade occurs after saving a task:
* **Affected rows flash** briefly in the task grid to highlight which tasks changed
* A **toast notification** shows the cascade count (e.g., "Task updated successfully. 4 dependent tasks updated.")
### Info Tooltips
When editing a task that belongs to a project, you'll see info tooltips next to the date fields:
* **Start Date** (cascade enabled): "Changing this date will move all subtasks by the same amount. The parent task's end date will automatically adjust to match its latest subtask."
* **Due Date** (cascade enabled): "Changing this date will update tasks that depend on this one. Their parent tasks will also adjust to match, which may shift other related tasks."
* **Both fields** (cascade disabled): "This task is part of a project. Enable auto-cascade dates to automatically keep related task dates in sync."
### When Cascade Is Disabled
With auto-cascade turned off, changing a task's dates only affects that single task. No subtasks, dependents, or parent tasks are updated. You are responsible for keeping all dates consistent manually.
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## Dependencies in Project Templates
Project templates support dependencies using relative day offsets instead of fixed dates:
* **Start From (days)** — number of days after the project start date when the task begins (e.g., 0 = project start, 5 = five days later)
* **Duration (days)** — how many days the task lasts from its start date
The same dependency constraints apply (same parent, no cycles, no self-dependencies). When you create a project from a template, the offsets are converted to real dates based on the project's start date, and all dependencies carry over.
When auto-cascade is enabled in a template, changing a template task's dates cascades through the template's dependency graph. The template's overall duration also updates automatically to match the latest task end date.
If a template has auto-cascade enabled, any project created from it will automatically inherit the auto-cascade setting — you don't need to enable it separately on the new project.
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## Related Pages
Learn about task depth limits, milestones, and subtask structure
Use drag and drop to reorder and restructure tasks
Create reusable project templates with predefined tasks
Edit task details, dates, and add comments