Do you have items on your board with due dates that are dependent on one another? Can one item not start until the other is complete? That's where dependencies comes into play! Dependencies can help create vital connections between items that are dependent on one another to help better manage projects in a more efficient way.
Add the Dependency Column
To start working with dependencies, you'll first need to add the Dependency Column onto your board. Using the Dependency Column, you'll be able to define the dependency relationships between the items on your board!
You can add the column by clicking the "+" icon to the right of your last column, and select "More columns". In the Column Center, search for dependency and click on "Add to board", as below:
Note: You can only add one Dependency Column per board.
Set up your dependency settings
As soon as you add your dependency column, a window will pop up prompting you to choose the mode in which your dependencies will work, as well as the time column which your items will be dependent on.
When it comes to the dependency mode setting, you have the option to choose between "Flexible", "Strict", or "No action":
Flexible: Ensures no overlap between the dates of items that are dependent on one another.
Strict: Adjusts an item's dates to reflect the exact time changes made based on the item it depends on.
No action: Items will not shift automatically; they will solely display dependency relationships without making any changes, even if a dependency clash occurs.
The dependency mode selected here will determine how items automatically update when changes are made to the items they depend on.
On the same window, you'll be directed to choose the time column which your items will be dependent on. You can connect any time column including:
If you have more than one time column on your board, you can choose one of them from the drop-down menu. When you have completed your column selection, click on "Save".
Define dependency relations between items
Once you've set up your dependency settings, it's time to define which of your items will be dependent on other items! This is important to set so that you can control how your items shift when changes are made to the items on which they depend.
Start by clicking on a cell in the Dependency Column. A side-bar menu will open, allowing you to select any item on your board.
When you create or edit a dependency, you can search by a task’s ID as well as its name (these IDs come from the "Item ID Column"). Open the Dependencies Column, start typing the ID, and choose the exact task, even when names are similar:
Once all of your dates are set, you will only see an automatic change in a date once a change is made in the date's dependent date, depending on the dependency mode that you have set up!
It's important to note that the Date Column or Timeline Column will not auto-populate after you set your dependent items in the Dependency Column. You must fill in your Date Column or Timeline Column for each item for the dependencies to work.
Use the Duration Column
Dependencies will only shift dates that already exist in your Date Column or Timeline Column. They will not automatically create timelines for your items. The Duration Column (also known as the Timeline + Numeric Combo Column) gives you a quick way to fill in those start and end dates so your dependency chain can start working.
To get started, add the Timeline + Numeric Combo Column to your board. This will create two columns side by side: a Duration Column and a Timeline Column. If you are using dependencies in projects, this combo is already built into the project board, so you can use it right away.
For each task, type the number of days into the Duration Column. If the Timeline Column is empty, it will automatically populate and adjust a date range starting from today based on the duration you enter. If the Timeline Column already has a range of dates, changing the duration will adjust the end date to match, while keeping the start date the same.
You can set up your dependencies either before or after you add durations. Once timelines are in place on your items, any date changes will follow the dependency mode you selected (Flexible, Strict, or No action). If a task uses the Duration Column, changing the duration will adjust the end date on its Timeline, and changing the start or end date on the Timeline will update the duration so the number of days and date range always match.
Batch Dependencies
You can speed up setup on large projects by batch-selecting items on your project board and selecting “Dependencies” in the multi-select bar. The selected tasks are connected in sequence in a single action, following the order you chose (for example, Task A, Task B, Task C).
Batch dependencies create the dependency links between the selected tasks. They do not automatically fill in dates for tasks that do not have a date or timeline yet. If some of the selected tasks do not have dates, their Date or Timeline Column will stay empty. When you later add dates or timelines to those tasks, their dates will adjust according to the dependency mode you set (for example, Strict mode) and their dependency chain.
When you run batch dependencies in Strict mode on tasks that already have timelines, the timelines are updated so that they follow one after the other, just like when you manually connect two tasks with timelines. This helps you quickly create a continuous project schedule without setting each dependency one by one:
On projects with multiple levels of subitems, batch dependencies run in Strict mode by design. When you select items from several levels at once, the dependency is created at the highest level because subitems roll up to their parent items.
If you want to connect items at a lower level, select only the items at that level (without their parents) and run batch dependencies again so they connect to one another at that level. You can also select subitems at the same level on a multi-level project and use batch dependencies to connect the subitems to each other:
If you change your mind after running batch dependencies, select “Undo” in the pop-up that appears right after the action. Undo restores the board to its original state before the batch ran, including any dependencies that were overwritten by the batch:
If the pop-up has already disappeared, you can still open the Activity log on the board or the relevant item and undo the batch step from there.
Watch the magic happen!
After you've chosen your dependency settings and set up the relations between your items, it's time to watch your dependencies come to life!
Now, when changing the relevant date or timeline column on your board, the dates of the dependent items will shift according to the dependency mode. Not only this, but when dragging items on the Gantt or Timeline View, you'll be able to really see the all your items move according to the ones that they are dependent on. 🙌
Available dependency modes
When customizing the way your dependencies work, you have three modes to choose from:
Flexible: Ensures no overlap between the dates of items that are dependent on another. This meaning, if you change an item's date and there is no overlap between the dates of its dependent item(s), no change will be made within the date of the dependent item(s). However, if you change an item's date and there is an overlap between the dates of its dependent item(s), the date of its dependent item(s) will adjust so that there will no longer be an overlap.
Strict: Allows you to use dependencies for project scheduling to ensure the most optimized timeline for a project (either with predefined gaps or no gaps at all). Here, when changing the date of an item, the date of its dependent item(s) will automatically change in the exact same way.
No action mode: The items on your board will not shift automatically according to the dependency relations that you set. The items will only visually display dependency relationships (through the connections on the Dependency Column, and with arrows on the Gantt Widget) without making any changes to your item's dates, even if there is a dependency clash between some items.
Skipping weekends using dependencies
To make sure weekends are skipped, you'll first need to set this up in your admin settings. To do so, go to your profile picture on the bottom left corner of your screen and click "Admin". Within the admin section, under the "General" heading, click on the tab "Account". There, you'll see the option to "Hide Weekends" under Timeline Weekends.
Understanding dependency types
As you set up the relations between your items, you'll be able to select the dependency type for each individual relationship. There are four dependency types: Finish-to-start, Start-to-start, Finish-to-finish, Start-to-finish.
Finish-to-start: Only once Task A is finished, Task B can start. This is the most common dependency type used.
Start-to-start: Only once Task A starts can Task B also begin.
Finish-to-finish: Only once Task A is finished, can Task B also be finished.
Start-to-finish: Only once Task A has started, Task B is able to finish.
Lead and lag
When managing projects with strict timelines, there are times when you can predict that a certain number of days will be needed to wait between project steps, or alternatively, some overlaps in different phases, which are important to note. Therefore, when using the strict dependency type, you can utilize the "lead and lag" feature to define any necessary delays or opportunities to save time in a project plan directly from the Dependency Column.
Lag: A delay between the dependent item and the item that it is dependent on, i.e., a certain amount of time that must pass before the next step in the project can begin.
For example, there is a two-day required delay between applying the first layer of paint and the second layer.
To add lag, simply click on the item on your board within the Dependency Column and enter your desired number. Here, a positive number will indicate a lag as so:
When looking at lag within the Timeline or Gantt chart, this can be seen as a gap between the dependent items, as shown below:
Lead: An overlap between the dependent item and the item that it is dependent on, i.e., a certain amount of time during which a step can begin in parallel with the step before it.
For example, at monday.com, there is a two-day overlap between starting to develop a feature and finishing the design of a feature.
To add a lead, simply click on the item in your board within the Dependency Column and enter your desired number. Here, a negative number will indicate a lead as so:
When looking at a lead within the Timeline or Gantt chart, this can be seen as an overlap between the dependent items, as shown below:
Troubleshooting
Why are my dependent items not getting dates automatically?
Dependencies shift existing dates in a Date or Timeline column; they don’t create dates for items that are blank.
- Option A: Enter a placeholder (dummy) date in the Date or Timeline column for each dependent item so the dependency chain has dates to shift.
- Option B: Use the Duration Column to auto-populate dates based on task duration.
The Duration Column is built into project boards, so it doesn’t need to be added manually.
Do you have any feedback on your experience using dependencies? We'd love to hear from you! Please fill out this form to provide us with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts you may have regarding our dependencies feature. 😊
If you have any questions, please reach out to our team right here. We’re available 24/7 and happy to help.