Projects group tasks under a name, a color, and optional notes. They're the main organising layer in Onward — the thing that turns one long task list into recognisable bodies of work.
Creating a project
- In the sidebar, Create project or + Add Project. On the Projects page, New Project.
- Project Name is required. The placeholder reads "e.g., Website Redesign".
- Workspace is where the project lives, and who can be invited.
- Description (Optional) is a short line about what the project is.
- Pick a Color and an Icon. In a busy list, color is how you see that four of today's tasks belong to one client.
- Create Project.
Open it by clicking the name in the sidebar. That project's tasks use the same list as My Tasks. Assign a task from the Project column, or the project field in task details.
All projects in the sidebar opens All Tasks, every task you can see, not a single project. See My Tasks and All Tasks.
Editing, hiding, and archiving
Hover a project in the sidebar.
- Edit project opens the same form. Save Changes writes the name, description, color, and icon.
- Hide from sidebar takes it off your sidebar. Show in sidebar puts it back. When any are hidden, Show 3 hidden (the number is how many) lists them; Hide hidden projects collapses that list. Hiding does not archive or delete.
- Someone who is not the owner can set Your Color and Your Icon. The hint says it is a personal override — only you see it.
On Projects, switch List or Grid. Show archived (N) reveals archived projects; Hide archived puts them away.
Inside the edit form:
- Archive marks the project Archived and takes it out of the active list and the task project picker. Unarchive brings it back. Tasks stay on the project.
- Delete Project asks you to confirm. Prefer archive when you only want the sidebar quieter.
Colors
Color and icon are set when you create or edit the project. A color you can tell apart from the others is the useful one.
Project notes
Notes are the reference material for a body of work — specs, links, brand guidelines — the stuff that shouldn't be crammed into task titles or buried in one task's description. They stay attached to the project so you don't re-explain the client every time you pick the work back up.
On desktop, open Notes from the view switcher on My Tasks or All Tasks.
- Add note. The new note is titled New note until you rename it.
- Write the body. It saves as you leave the field.
- Assign a project, or leave No project.
- Filter notes with All projects, and with visibility: All visibility, Workspace can view, Specific people, or Only me.
- Delete note removes that note. It does not delete the project or its tasks.
Note chips inside task details are a different, smaller thing: short chips on one task. Project notes are the longer reference.
How granular should a project be?
The most common mistake is too many projects. A project is worth creating when you'd genuinely want to filter to it, focus on it, or see its tasks separately. If you'd never use it that way, a tag is usually the better tool.
| Good project | Probably too granular |
|---|---|
| A client | One deliverable for that client |
| A product launch | A single meeting's follow-ups |
| Internal operations | "Admin" tasks that already live everywhere |
| A recurring retainer | Each month of that retainer |
A useful test: if you can't imagine ever wanting a saved view scoped to it, it's probably not a project.
My Tasks vs project scopes
My Tasks shows the work assigned to you, across every project. A project view shows everything in that project, respecting permissions in team workspaces.
The distinction matters in a team: My Tasks is your queue, a project is the whole effort including other people's parts of it.
Projects and focus mode
Focus mode takes a project as its subject — you can start a session on a project alone, without picking specific tasks. Projects sized around "a thing I sit down and work on for an hour" tend to make focus sessions easier to start.
External tools
Project structure in Onward is self-contained. For what connects to outside services today, see Integrations — Google Calendar, for most accounts.
Common questions
Can a task belong to more than one project?
A task has one project. Use tags for cross-cutting labels that apply across projects.
What happens to tasks if I delete a project?
Delete carefully — removing a project affects the tasks organised under it. If you're only trying to clear clutter, collapsing the project in the sidebar or archiving the work is safer.
Can I share a project with only some teammates?
Projects are shared explicitly, and individual tasks have their own visibility controls in the details drawer. See Team Health and Team Boosts for how workspaces and teams fit together.
Projects or tags — which should I use?
Projects for bodies of work you want to filter, focus on, and view separately. Tags for attributes that cut across projects, like "waiting on client" or "quick win".
Where do I put reference material for a client?
Project notes, on the Notes view. That keeps the material attached to the work rather than to one arbitrary task.