Tasks vs Workflows: Which Should I Use?

The platform offers two board-style tools that can look similar at first glance: Tasks and Workflows. They solve different problems, though, and picking the right one will save you time and confusion. This article explains when to use each — and how they work together.

The Quick Comparison

Tasks

A to-do list for your team

Cards represent: Action items (things to DO)
Columns: Status — Pending → In Progress → Done
Assigned to: One person per task
Triggered by: Manual creation or automation templates
Found at: Admin → Tasks (sidebar)

Workflows

A care pipeline for people

Cards represent: People (who to CARE for)
Columns: Sequential steps you define (e.g., Welcome Call → Coffee Meeting → Join a Group)
Assigned to: Each step can have different assignees
Triggered by: Manual or form submission
Found at: Admin → People → Care tab → Workflows

When to Use Tasks

Tasks are best when you need to track specific things people need to do. Each task is a standalone action item with a title, priority, due date, and assignee.

Here are a few examples:

"Call John back on Tuesday" — A follow-up task assigned to a pastor, with a due date and a phone call task type.
"Order supplies for Sunday's potluck" — A planning task assigned to the events coordinator.
"Follow up on Sarah's prayer request" — A follow-up task linked to a form submission, automatically created when the prayer request form is submitted.
"Set up sound system for youth night" — A setup task assigned to the tech team lead, linked to an event.
"Review background check for new volunteer" — An administrative task assigned to the office manager.

The common thread: each of these is a single, concrete action that one person needs to complete.

When to Use Workflows

Workflows are best when you have a repeatable, multi-step process that many people will go through. The focus is on tracking people through stages, not tracking tasks.

Here are a few examples:

New Visitor Welcome Process — Every new visitor goes through: Welcome Call → Coffee with a Pastor → Tour of Ministries → Join a Group.
Baptism Preparation — Each candidate moves through: Initial Meeting → Baptism Class → Interview → Scheduled for Baptism.
Membership Onboarding — New members progress through: Membership Class → Meet with Elder → Sign Covenant → Added to Directory.
Volunteer Onboarding — Prospective volunteers go through: Application → Background Check → Training → Placed on Team.

The common thread: the same sequence of steps is applied to many different people, and you need to see where everyone is at a glance.

Using Both Together

Tasks and Workflows are complementary. Here's a real-world example of using them side by side:

A new visitor fills out a connect card (form). The form triggers a Workflow that enrolls them in your "New Visitor Follow-Up" pipeline.
Pastor Mike is assigned to the first workflow step ("Welcome Call"). He sees the person on the Workflow board.
Pastor Mike creates a Task for himself: "Call Jane Doe — she mentioned interest in the youth group." He sets a due date for Tuesday and picks "Phone Call" as the task type.
After the call, he marks the task as Done and moves Jane to the next workflow step ("Coffee Meeting").

The Workflow tracks Jane's journey through the welcome process. The Task tracks Mike's action item to make the call. Both tools did their job.

Tip

Not sure which to use? Start with a Task. If you find yourself creating the same tasks over and over for every new person who comes through, that's a strong sign you need a Workflow instead.