# Tasks: creating and using them in shifts

> Create detailed tasks (with code, duration and color) to attach to shifts and specify the work to be done during the service.

Source: https://help.shyfter.com/en/settings/tasks-creating-and-using-them-in-shifts  
Category: Settings  
Updated: 2026-06-30

## What are tasks for

Tasks detail the content of a shift. Rather than a generic shift, you specify what the employee does and when: for example Kitchen, Delivery, Inventory, Order. Tasks are visible to the employee in Shyfter Staff, which limits misunderstandings and clarifies how the service is organized.

## Creating a task

Go to **Settings ⚙️ → Tasks**, then click **New**. The "Add a task" panel offers the following fields:

- **Name**: the task's label (for example Kitchen prep, Delivery, Inventory).
- **Code**: a short code associated with the task, useful for finding it and for exports.
- **Default duration (min)**: the duration suggested automatically when you add this task to a shift, in minutes. You can adjust it case by case.
- **Deduct from headcount in the day view**: if enabled, the employee occupied by this task is not counted in the available headcount shown in the Day view. Handy for tasks that take someone out of active service (for example a delivery or an inventory).
- **Color**: the display color of the task.

Click **Save**. The task becomes available for selection in shifts.

## Adding tasks to a shift

When creating or editing a shift, the **Tasks** section lets you add one or more tasks via **Add a task**. Each task receives the default duration, which you can change, along with its own start and end times. You can add several or remove them.

> Tasks are not checklists. A task is a block of activity planned within the shift, with times; a checklist is a list of items to tick off during or at the end of the service.