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What's the difference between a "task" and an "action item"? How do I create a "task"?

Andrew M Robulack
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April 25, 2025

The Confluence UI suggests that "tasks" and "action items" are different things. Here's a screen shot illustrating where I get that idea:

Screenshot 2025-04-25 at 10.45.50 AM.png


When I try to create a "task" I am given the option of creating either a "Task report" or an "Action item", but not a task. 

When I opt to create an "Action item", or use two square brackets to do the same, I can assign it to someone. 

But when I go to the my own "Tasks" page (as available under my personal menu at the top right of every page), which takes me to the following path "/wiki/home/tasks", I do not see any of the "Action items" which have been assigned to me.

Similarly, when I embed a "Task report" on a page and filter it to look for tasks assigned to me on the page where I've placed the "Action items", no tasks show up. I've captured a screen shot of this below.

Screenshot 2025-04-25 at 10.44.56 AM.png


So, based on the fact that I can't see any of the "Action items" within the task areas, I'm lead to believe that "Tasks" and "Action items" are two different things. "Action items" seem to be to-dos that are only available "in place" on the page where they are created. 

I'm interested to learn how to create "tasks" since they are obviously more extensible.

How do I create a "task" in Confluence?

 

2 answers

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Kai Krause
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April 26, 2025

Hello,

 

In addition to what Jack already mentioned,

I tried to replicate your observation. Here, the action items are also fully displayed in the task tab at the top right. I think it should work as you expect.

Screenshot 2025-04-26 092048.png

Could there be a permissions issue here? I'm actually aware of these missing permissions. I can be managed but don't actually have access.

BR
Kai

 

0 votes
Jack Brickey
Community Champion
April 26, 2025

Hi @Andrew M Robulack , my understanding is that a Task report is used to capture Action items. Yes, it is odd that it wasn't simply called Action time report.

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