Recurring, Split, and Inactive Tasks
Microsoft Project has three ways to represent different task situations:
- A recurring task represents work repeated on a regular pattern.
- A split task is one task whose work pauses and resumes later.
- An inactive task remains stored in the project but is removed from the active schedule.
These models serve different purposes; they are not interchangeable display options.
Recurring tasks
Section titled “Recurring tasks”Use a recurring task when the work follows a regular daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly pattern. For irregular occurrences, create separate tasks. In desktop Project, choose View > Gantt Chart, select the insertion row, and choose Task > Recurring Task. Set the occurrence duration and repeat pattern, then choose to end the series after a number of occurrences or on a date. A recurring task can use a different calendar. The Scheduling ignores resource calendars option tells Project to schedule that recurring task even when assigned resources are unavailable according to their calendars; it does not remove resource-calendar effects from every aspect of the plan.
Assigning a resource to the recurring summary task assigns it to each occurrence. During resource leveling, Project gives recurring tasks the highest priority, so leveling does not normally split or delay them. This priority is specific to leveling; it does not override dependencies, constraints, calendars, or every other scheduling rule. A zero-duration recurring task creates milestone or reminder occurrences, each with no span of working time.1
Split tasks
Section titled “Split tasks”Split a task when the same work is interrupted and later resumes. In Gantt Chart view, choose Task > Split Task, click the bar where the interruption begins, and drag the later section to the date work resumes.
A split task remains one task. Duration represents working time; the gap between its sections represents an interruption or elapsed nonworking period. You can move an individual section, move the whole task, join sections, or resize a section, and these actions can affect the schedule. Resource leveling creates splits only when remaining work exists and Leveling can create splits in remaining work is enabled; a leveling run does not always split a task.2
Inactive tasks
Section titled “Inactive tasks”Inactivating a task removes it from active scheduling and resource availability while keeping it in the project; it can later be reactivated. Microsoft documents inactivation as a Project Professional feature.3
To inactivate a task, select it and choose Task > Inactivate. Use the same command to reactivate it.
In Project Plan 365, open the task’s Task Information, choose General, and select Inactive.
Inactivation is not a substitute for recording completed work. Because an inactive task is removed from active scheduling, using it to represent completed work can make the remaining schedule misleading. Completed work should generally be marked 100 percent complete instead.
Choose the right task model
Section titled “Choose the right task model”| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Work repeats on a predictable pattern | Recurring task |
| One task pauses and resumes | Split task |
| A planned task should remain on record but stop driving the active plan | Inactive task |
As an alternative, Project Plan 365 offers an interface familiar to Microsoft Project users and supports recurring tasks, split tasks, and inactive tasks.