Make task instructions clear for the team

You are handing a signing task to a colleague. The deadline must stand out, the documents to collect need a list, and the agreed form needs a link. A Long text column keeps those instructions beside the task, with formatting that the team reads in the board and its calendar.

Decide whether you are listing documents to collect or steps to follow in order. Use bullets for the documents and numbers for the sequence.

Write and emphasise the instructions

1. Open the board's table view and double-click the task's cell in a Long text column, such as Instructions. The editor takes focus, so start typing. If the board has no such column, choose what to track on each task first.

2. Select the words that need emphasis and click Bold, Italic or Underline in the toolbar.

   

   The keyboard shortcuts are Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I and Ctrl+U, or ⌘B, ⌘I and ⌘U on a Mac. You can also turn a style on before typing and turn it off again afterwards.

3. Click Bulleted list for documents or points to collect, or Numbered list for steps that must happen in order. Press Enter for the next item; press Enter twice at the end of the list to return to ordinary text.

Link the agreed form

1. Select the words that should open the document or reference, such as "SPA", and click Link.

2. Paste the address into Paste a link and press Enter, then press Enter to apply it.

   

3. Click outside the editor to save the instructions.

   The cell stays compact. Hover over it to read the full instructions with their formatting; a saved link opens in a new tab.

   

Edit while planning the week

In the board's Calendar view, click the task to open its panel, then click the value in its Long text field. The same formatting toolbar appears. Click outside the editor to save your changes. You need permission to edit the task's column in either view.

The formatting also appears in the calendar's hover card, My work and dashboard table cards. Search, sorting and filters use the words; the activity feed shows changes as plain text.

Bring across an existing note

Paste from Word or a web page into the editor to keep bold, italic, underline, lists and links. Colours, font sizes and other source styling are dropped, so the instructions use the board's appearance.

Older notes keep their literal text: asterisks around a word stay asterisks, and lines starting with a dash do not turn into bullets. Opening and closing a note without editing saves nothing. When you add formatting, the existing text stays literal and the words you format take the new style.

Tips from practice

• Emphasise the exception. Bold the condition or deadline someone might miss; a whole paragraph in bold gives them less guidance.
• Keep completion on the task. Use the instructions for detail, and the Status and People columns to show progress and responsibility.
• Check who reads the column. Keep internal working notes in a separate column with the right access; see give the client access to their tasks.

Before this: assign and follow up the work. Next: see the deal's deadlines in a calendar.