Planner Integration with Loop Tasks
Need some guidance - We are starting to use Planner to keep track of a large number of tasks. Currently planner is setup with: Approx 10 buckets (in kanban view), and a list of tasks below each. We are using this mainly just for tasks, so the Timeline view isn't needed. We want to connect tasks recorded in Teams meetings, and in Loop to our main Planner. Whats the best work around for this? When using Loop, and we create a task and we connect it to Planner, it will create a new Plan and put the tasks under that. To me, this is dysfunctional, because we want all tasks to be under the main Plan in Planner. I like to use the GRID view of the Plan, which enables me to make subtasks under the main tasks, but others prefer to use the kanban view. However you can't see the subtasks that are under the "main task" like in Grid view. There's lots of videos showing how these parts of Teams work together, but in reality, it doesn't really work that well when it scatters tasks created in different parts to different Planners. Any suggestions would be helpful, and thank you in advance for your help. Jim
Subtasks - What level is needed?
My company is looking into utilizing our Planner so that multiple people have access to the same plan, but for the team to create subtasks we have to purchase premium plans. What level (1, 3 or 5) is needed to create a subtask? The breakdown found https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/planner/microsoft-planner-plans-and-pricing does not specify subtasks.
My Tasks in Planner - Assigned to Me. Not Showing in Outlook ToDo Sidebar
Within the new Outlook, I leverage the functionality to drag a task from the ToDo sidebar and place it in my Calendar as a way to block time for completing that task. However, not all tasks show up in the Outlook ToDo sidebar. The category "Assigned to Me" does not show up meaning any task that was assigned to me in a plan I cannot place in my calendar. Struggling to find a uniform way to manage my tasks when there isn't complete visibility and uniformity in Microsoft's tools. And when will there be an updated mobile solution to Planner? The current outdated (and not supported) app does not include any premium plans, just basic.
Option for %complete of a task to change based on items completed in a checklist
Hi, I want the %complete of a task to change based on items completed in a checklist. Currently it uses a combination of hours and the start/end date, but I would like the %complete to also reflect the number of items that are completed in a checklist. For example, if a checklist of 8 items has 2 items done, the percent complete would be 25%. Is this possible? Or could this feature be added. I know there is a work around to use power automate, however, I encountered issues with pulling planner premium tasks into power automate. ThanksBucket Templates or Duplicate Buckets
Adding bucket templates or duplicate bucket functionality would save so much time for all of us. We're using Planner to project manage repetitive workflows - but each time we create a new project we need to manually copy and paste all tasks. It would save so much time to add the ability to create a new bucket from a template or duplicate a bucket. Planner feels so under baked because it lacks this functionality, and there are hundreds of threads requesting this exact functionality.New planner doesn't show a "schedule" view of tasks assigned to me from different plans
The new version of web-based Planner was enabled for me a few days ago, on November 17th. Apparently, I realized that one of the features I used is missing. At the "My Tasks" view, in the old version of Planner, one could choose to have different views, apart from the grid view. The most useful one for me was the "schedule" view, since I could see in one calendar, all assigned tasks from different plans/teams/projects. This functionality now seems to have been removed, and one can only see one separate schedule per plan.
Strategic Missing Capabilities in the new Microsoft Planner (Enterprise Perspective)
The Present State of Microsoft Planner’s Vision Enterprises want one coherent work-management layer in Microsoft 365 Microsoft’s ambition is to merge To Do, Planner, and Project for the Web into a single platform with Copilot, Goals, unified List/Board/Timeline views, and templates The direction is sound: reduce fragmentation and tool sprawl, standardize data, and give leaders a clean and solid portfolio picture while teams execute in familiar interfaces. In an environment where all employees have access to the same tool, are already included in the resource pool and integration options are basically unlimited, this is a step, that everyone was looking forward to. Nonetheless, the quip that “Microsoft abandoned MS Project 20 years ago” is a joke, but it reflects a real anxiety: if the new Planner displaces familiar scheduling experiences without enterprise-grade controls, PMOs will feel left alone again and disengage, in presence of abundant alternatives. Planner will not replace Microsoft Project, Primavera, or other detailled scheduling tools; those remain essential for deep dependencies, resource leveling, and baselining. Planner’s highest-value role is the management and aggregation layer above them: align goals, normalize metadata, and expose cross-program status. Simplicity matters, but simplicity cannot mean missing capability. If essential functions are absent, governance, traceability, and portfolio visibility suffer, and organizations turn to external tools. Following is a list of core functionality that is currently missing and was needed about a month ago. Current Structural Gaps Date logic too rigid for management use No independent target/due date field; planning often hinges on Start/Finish + Duration, which limits top-down milestone control Custom fields capped at 10 per plan Insufficient for enterprise metadata models and standardized portfolio reporting Maximum task duration of 1,250 days Constricts representation of multi-year initiatives and capital programs No enterprise-grade audit trail Lacks comprehensive, exportable change logs with retention controls for compliance Flat responsibility model Multiple assignees exist, but no roles such as Owner, Reviewer, Approver; no RACI support Insufficient hierarchy and dependencies for roll-ups Summary/sub-tasks exist, but cross-plan links and robust multi-plan aggregation are weak Group-based permissions only Sharing tied to M365 Groups/Teams; no fine-grained task- or field-level permissions; no simple view-only for externals Custom fields lack hyperlink behavior No URL field type; links in text fields are often not clickable for seamless navigation Inconsistent text capture and formatting Notes lack reliable rich-text structure; long entries are hard to read No page breaks or robust formatting for long descriptions Executive-level narratives and governance documentation become unwieldy Limited standardization across plans No global library for reusable custom fields, bucket structures, or templates at tenant/portfolio level Required Enhancements for Enterprise Readiness Flexible date logic Allow target/due dates independent of Start/Finish; add constraints, buffers, alerts, and escalation rules Expanded metadata framework Raise the custom-field limit; add field types (URL, Person, Multi-select), required fields, validation rules, and global field templates Enterprise auditability Provide full change history with export, retention policies, filters by field/user, and API access Role-aware assignments (RACI) Support roles (Owner, Doer, Reviewer, Approver), secondary ownership, and role-based views in people and reports Portfolio-grade structure Enable cross-plan dependencies, milestone roll-ups, program-level summaries, consolidated capacity and risk views Granular access control Introduce view-only sharing, external access without group membership, and task/field-level ACLs to protect sensitive data Hyperlink-enabled fields Add a URL type and clickable rendering in text fields, with previews and allow-lists for approved domains Robust editor for management communication Paragraphs, lists, headings, tables, code/quote blocks, and clean print/PDF output for formal documentation Reusable enterprise templates Tenant-wide libraries for custom fields, buckets, and workflows; versioning and approval flows for governed rollout Reliable data layer A standardized Power BI dataset, webhooks/events, incremental exports, and stable keys for multi-plan, multi-tenant analytics Scaling for long-horizon work Lift or mitigate the 1,250-day limit for leaf tasks and provide guidance or rules for multi-year programs Bottom line Planner can succeed as the enterprise management layer if it remains simple but gains the capabilities listed above. One does not work without the other. If Microsoft does not deliver these functions, enterprises will continue using Project, Primavera, or other scheduling tools — while adopting third-party platforms for governance and portfolio visibility. This would directly undermine Planner’s goal of becoming the unified standard within Microsoft 365. Please, do us a favor and spare organizations from having to implement yet another third-party tool. (And yes: I am aware of multiple enterprises that are in the process of testing and implementating different tools, presicely because of this missing capability)
Planner Plan 5 features in Planner (not Project Online) compared to Planner Plan 3
Hi! I have no clarity about the actual difference of using Planner (not Project Onlinr) with a Plan 5 VS a Plan 3. My understanding is that, within Planner only, currently there is difference as these features: Portfolio Analysis and Optimization Demand Management Enterprise Resource Management and Allocation are not yet in Planner. Anybody can be so kind to clarify or confirm? Thanks!Enhancements to Planner in Microsoft Teams channels
By adding Planner as a Teams tab, you can now seamlessly create and add both basic and premium plans directly to your standard Teams channels. This includes the ability to start a plan as a tab from any of our out-of-the-box templates. This unified experience means everything you need is now in one place, making it simpler to collaborate on shared projects right within your conversations. Try it out To get started, follow these steps: Select any standard Teams channel. Select the Open Apps icon at the top right of the channel and search for Planner. Select Pin a tab for Planner. Select Save. You can now add an existing plan to the channel or create a new plan. Note: When you create a new plan, you have the option of starting from scratch or trying one of our templates. These templates range from event planning to building a CRM pipeline. A video demonstrating how to pin a tab for Planner and create a shared space for using the app in a Teams channel. What’s new to Planner in Teams channels One of the most significant advantages of adding Planner as a tab to a Teams channel is the ability to track your work, visualize progress towards goals, and monitor workloads—all within the context where your team works. Our most recent updates extend this benefit further by integrating both basic and premium plans directly into your Teams channels. By consolidating these into a single interface, you can now create and manage your plans without needing to switch between different apps or tabs. As your project requirements grow, you can also easily upgrade to a premium plan from a basic plan right within the Teams tab. This transition between plan types ensures that you can get access to the features you need as seamlessly as possible. This includes capabilities such as: Task dependencies: View and manage the relationship between interconnected tasks. Task history: Review all progress and changes made to tasks. Custom fields: Keep track of important information specific to your plans and workflows. Subtasks: Break down complex deliverables into smaller, more actionable tasks. People view: Visualize and manage team members and their workloads, assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate efficiently, ensuring everyone stays aligned and productive. Goals view: Set, track, and link project goals to tasks, ensuring alignment and visibility of progress towards key objectives. Copilot: Leverage AI to assist users in planning, managing tasks, and generating project insights, enhancing productivity and project visibility. Baselines: Capture and compare the state of a project at specific moments, helping to track progress and identify variances from the original plan. Portfolios: These plans can now be added to portfolios. Check out the full list of advanced capabilities with premium plans in Planner. If you don’t have a premium license, you can still try the feature by acquiring a free 30-day trial. Your team can continue to edit the same fields as before on the premium plan with their Microsoft 365 subscription. Share your feedback We’d love to get your input on this new experience! We're committed to continuously improving your experience with Planner, and your perspective is one of the channels that enables us to shape future investments. There are several ways to share your feedback with us—either via the Planner Feedback Portal or directly in the Planner app in Teams by selecting More (the questions mark) in the upper right corner, then Feedback. Resources Check out the Planner adoption page. Sign up to receive future communication about Planner. Check out the Microsoft 365 roadmap for feature descriptions and estimated release dates. Watch Planner demos for inspiration on how to get the most out of Planner. Watch the recording from September's What’s New and What’s Coming Next + AMA about the new Planner. Visit the Planner help page to learn more about the capabilities in Planner.
