Task

IMPORTANT  The SOAP API entered a limited enhancement phase in Q4 2020. Access to version 1.6 will eventually be deactivated. At this time, there is no end-of-lifecycle date.

This entity describes an Autotask Task. Tasks are associated with a Project and define work that must be done. Tasks can have one or more Resource assigned to them and can be scheduled for Service Calls. Autotask users manage Tasks through the Projects module and, when associated with a Service Call, through the Service Desk module or Dispatcher's Workshop.

Entity details

You can also retrieve this information with the Web Services API call The getEntityInfo() SOAP API call.

Entity Name: Task
Can Create:
Can Update:
Can Query:
Can Delete:  
Can Have UDFs:

Fields that cannot be queried

The following fields from this entity will return an error when queried.

  • RemainingHours

Conditions and requirements

General

  • If Autotask receives a create, update, or delete request for this entity and its corresponding module is unavailable, the API will return the error message, "The logged in Resource does not have the adequate permissions to update this entity type." For more information about installed modules, refer to our Modules article.
  • The Task entity can have no more than 100 UDFs. Refer to UserDefinedFieldDefinition.
  • When a Project is completed via the API, the API will complete all Tasks associated with the project and update the "Remaining Hours" and "Projected Variance from Remaining Hours" totals at both the Task TimeEntry and Project levels.
  • Resources without security level access to Projects have RESTRICTED access to Tasks; that is, they can only update tasks that they are assigned to as the primary or a secondary resource.
  • When Organizational Structure is enabled in Autotask, and a user is associated with one or more Lines of Business, the user can see only tasks whose project has no associated Line of Business, or is associated with the Line(s) of Business they are assigned to. This is true even if user has Projects View All permission.
  • Tasks associated with projects of Type = Baseline are read-only and cannot be created, updated or deleted via the API.

IMPORTANT  When the API receives a request to update a field that contains Rich Text, the API will update the text-only version of the field and overwrite the data in the Rich Text field with plain text. All text formatting and images will be lost. Refer to The Rich Text editor to learn more.

Special field attributes

Field Conditions and Requirements
AccountPhysicalLocationID

 

During a create call or when changing the value during an update, the account location must be active AND belong to the project's account. During create, if a value is not supplied then the field will default to the account's primary location, if one exists. Otherwise, a location will not be assigned.

AllocationCodeID

 

AllocationCodeID must reference a Work Type allocation code.

AllocationCodeID and DepartmentID are not required unless the task has a primary or secondary Resource assigned. AllocationCodeID and Department ID are only required as follows:

  • If the task has a Primary Resource (AssignedResourceID) assigned, an AllocationCodeID must be provided. DepartmentID is set to the Primary Resource’s Department.
  • If the task has only a secondary resource assigned, then both AllocationCodeID and DepartmentID must be provided.

NOTE  Although the secondary resource is not exposed via the API, the API must still respect the AllocationCodeID and DepartmentID requirement.

CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask

If no value is provided for IsVisibleInClientPortal and CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask, they both default to False.

If IsVisibleInClientPortal is False, then CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask will override to False.

CompletedByType CreatorResourceID and CompletedByResourceID can return a ContactID or a ResourceID. CreatorType and CompletedByType specify whether the task was created or completed by a Contact or a Resource.
CreatorType CreatorResourceID and CompletedByResourceID can return a ContactID or a ResourceID. CreatorType and CompletedByType specify whether the task was created or completed by a Contact or a Resource.
EndDateTime

To maintain consistency with the Autotask UI, Task.EndDateTime ignores any time component passed in. A time value of midnight will be applied to any Task end date provided.

End date can be the same day as start date.

IsVisibleInClientPortal

If no value is provided for IsVisibleInClientPortal and CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask, they both default to False.

If IsVisibleInClientPortal is False, then CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask will override to False.

LastActivityPersonType LastActivityPersonType values indicating whether the initiator of the last activity was a resource or a contact.
Priority The Priority Order field in the UI corresponds to the Priority integer field in the API. Priority is not required. If no value is provided on create or update, the value defaults to 0.
PriorityLabel The Priority field in the UI corresponds to the PriorityLabel picklist field in the API.
ProjectID On update(), ProjectID cannot be changed. An error will be returned.
ProjectID is validated only during create() or update().
Role

Autotask allows a Role to be inactivated. An attempt to create a Task using a Resource + Role combination with an inactive Role will trigger an error.

You can update an existing Task if the Resource + Role combination uses an inactive Role.
Status When Task.Status is set to Complete (picklist value 5), the value of Task.RemainingHours is set to 0 and cannot be updated.

Field definitions

Field Name Label Datatype Read Only Is Required Reference Name Picklist
AccountPhysicalLocationID Account Physical Location ID integer     AccountPhysicalLocation  
AllocationCodeID Allocation Code Name integer     AllocationCode  
AssignedResourceID Resource integer     Resource  
AssignedResourceRoleID Resource Role Name integer     Role  
CanClientPortalUserCompleteTask Can Client Portal User Complete Task boolean        
CompletedByResourceID Task Completed By integer   Resource  
CompletedByType Completed By Type integer    
CompletedDateTime Task Complete Date datetime      
CreateDateTime Task Creation Date datetime      
CreatorResourceID Task Creator integer   Resource  
CreatorType Creator Type integer    
DepartmentID Task Department Name integer      
Description Task Description string (8000)        
EndDateTime Task End Datetime datetime        
EstimatedHours Task Estimated Hours double        
ExternalID Task External ID string (50)        
HoursToBeScheduled Hours To Be Scheduled double      
id Task ID long    
IsVisibleInClientPortal Is Visible In Client Portal boolean        
LastActivityDateTime Task Last Activity Date Time datetime      
LastActivityPersonType Last Activity Person Type integer    
LastActivityResourceID Last Activity Resource ID integer   Resource  
PhaseID Phase ID integer     Task  
Priority Task Priority integer        
PriorityLabel Priority Label integer      
ProjectID Project integer   Project  
PurchaseOrderNumber Purchase Order Number string (50)        
RemainingHours Remaining Hours double        
StartDateTime Task Start Date datetime        
Status Ticket Status integer    

TaskCategoryID

Task Category ID

integer

 

 

 

TaskIsBillable Task Billable boolean      
TaskNumber Task Number string (50)      
TaskType Task Type integer    
Title Task Title string (255)