How are tasks ordered within the portal?

When viewing tasks in your portal, you might notice a specific order in how they are displayed. This order is not random—it follows a structured logic to help you and your participants prioritize what’s most important. Below is a breakdown of how task order is determined:

Task Ordering Logic

Tasks in the portal are sorted using the following hierarchy:

<REQUIRED>_<STATUS>_<TYPE>_<CLOSE_DATE>:<NAME>

Each part of this sequence helps determine the final order in which tasks appear.

1. Required vs. Not Required

Required tasks are shown before non-required tasks. This ensures critical items are completed first.

2. Open vs. Closed

Within each required/not required group, open tasks (i.e. tasks with a due date in the future or no due date established) appear before closed ones. This keeps attention focused on what still needs to be completed.

3. Due Date

If a task has a due date, it’s prioritized based on how soon it’s due:

• Due Today

• Due This Week

• Due in the Future

• Past Due

4. Task Type

Next, tasks are sorted by type in the following order:

• Task

• File Request

• Form

This grouping helps keep similar types of actions together.

5. Task Name (Alphabetical)

Finally, if tasks are identical in all of the above criteria, they are sorted alphabetically by task name.

Summary of Task Order Example

Here’s how tasks might appear in order:

1. Required, open form, due today

2. Required, open file request, due this week

3. Required, open custom task, due in future

4. Required, open form, no due date

5. Required, closed tasks…

6. Not required, open tasks…

7. Not required, closed tasks…

By following this structure, the portal ensures that your most important and time-sensitive tasks are always at the top, making it easier to manage submissions and deadlines effectively.