Create Work Items

Work items are the fundamental unit of work in SetGet. Every task, bug, feature request, improvement, and idea is represented as a work item. This tutorial shows you every method for creating work items and explains each property you can set, so you can capture work with the right level of detail from the start.

Prerequisites

• An existing SetGet workspace with at least one project. See the previous tutorials if you need to create a workspace, invite members, or create a project.
• Admin or Member role in the workspace.

Method 1: Quick-add bar

The quickest way to create a work item is the inline quick-add bar that appears at the top or bottom of any work items list.

1. Navigate to your project's work items view.
2. Click the + Add item row (or press C on your keyboard).
3. Type a title for the work item.
4. Press Enter to create it immediately.

The work item is created with default properties — Backlog state, no priority, no assignee. You can update these properties afterward by clicking on the work item or using inline editing.

TIP

Quick-add is designed for speed. Use it when you want to capture ideas rapidly without breaking your flow. You can always add details later.

Method 2: Detail modal

When you want to set multiple properties at creation time, use the full detail modal.

1. Click the + Create Work Item button in the project header, or press C while holding no focus on the quick-add bar.
2. The creation modal opens with fields for every property.
3. Fill in the title and any properties you want to set (see the property reference below).
4. Click Create Work Item or press Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter to save.

The detail modal is ideal when you have enough context to fully specify a work item from the start — for example, during a planning session or when triaging a bug report.

Method 3: Keyboard shortcut

From anywhere within a project view, press C to open the work item creation flow. Depending on your current context, this may open the quick-add bar or the detail modal.

Property reference

Each work item in SetGet can carry the following properties. None are mandatory except the title — set as many or as few as make sense for the item.

Title

A short, descriptive summary of the work. Good titles are specific and actionable:

• Good: "Fix login timeout on mobile Safari"
• Good: "Add CSV export to analytics dashboard"
• Avoid: "Bug" or "Fix stuff"

State

The current position of the work item in your workflow. States are grouped into five categories:

Group	What it means
Backlog	Acknowledged but not yet scheduled
Unstarted	Scheduled but nobody has started working on it
Started	Actively in progress
Completed	Finished successfully
Cancelled	Abandoned or no longer relevant

Click the state indicator (colored circle) to change it. The available states depend on your project's state configuration.

Priority

How urgent or important the work item is. SetGet offers five priority levels:

Priority	When to use
Urgent	Must be addressed immediately; blocks critical work
High	Important and should be done soon
Medium	Normal priority; plan for the current or next cycle
Low	Desirable but not time-sensitive
None	Priority not yet assessed

Click the priority icon (flag or bar indicator) to set it. Priority is a useful grouping and sorting dimension in Kanban and List views.

Assignees

One or more team members responsible for completing the work. Click the assignee avatar area to open the member picker. You can assign multiple people when a work item requires collaboration.

TIP

Assigning someone to a work item automatically subscribes them to notifications for that item. They will receive updates when the state changes, comments are added, or properties are modified.

Labels

Tags that categorize work items across your project. A work item can have zero or more labels. Common labels include "bug", "feature", "documentation", "tech-debt", "design", and "performance".

Click the label area to search and select from existing labels, or type a new name to create a label on the fly.

Due date

The date by which the work item should be completed. Click the date field to open a date picker. Due dates appear in Calendar view and are used for Gantt chart positioning.

You can also set a start date to indicate when work is expected to begin, giving you a date range for timeline views.

Estimates

If your project has estimation enabled, you can set a point value or size for the work item. Estimates feed into cycle burndown charts and velocity tracking.

Click the estimate field and choose a value from your project's configured scale (points, t-shirt sizes, or custom values).

Parent work item

Work items can be nested. Setting a parent creates a sub-item relationship, which is useful for breaking large items into smaller pieces.

Click Add parent in the detail view and search for the parent work item by title or identifier.

Cycle

Assign the work item to a specific cycle (sprint) for time-boxed delivery tracking. Click the cycle field to choose from active or upcoming cycles.

Module

Assign the work item to a module for feature-based or theme-based grouping. Click the module field to select an existing module.

Writing a description

The description field supports a rich text editor with the following capabilities:

• Headings (H1 through H3)
• Bold, italic, strikethrough, and inline code
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Task checklists (interactive checkboxes)
• Code blocks with syntax highlighting
• Tables
• Images (upload or paste from clipboard)
• Links
• Blockquotes
• Horizontal dividers

Using the toolbar

Click into the description area to activate the editor. A floating toolbar appears with formatting buttons. You can also use standard keyboard shortcuts:

Action	Shortcut
Bold	Ctrl/Cmd + B
Italic	Ctrl/Cmd + I
Strikethrough	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + S
Code	Ctrl/Cmd + E
Link	Ctrl/Cmd + K
Heading 1	Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 1
Heading 2	Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 2
Heading 3	Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + 3
Bulleted list	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 8
Numbered list	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 7
Task list	Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + 9

Using slash commands

Type / in the description editor to open the slash command menu. This lets you quickly insert:

• Headings
• Lists
• Code blocks
• Tables
• Images
• Dividers
• Callout blocks

Slash commands are often faster than using the toolbar, especially for keyboard-oriented users.

Creating work items in bulk

During planning sessions, you may need to create many work items at once. Some tips for efficient bulk creation:

1. Use quick-add repeatedly. After pressing Enter to create one item, the quick-add bar stays active. Type the next title and press Enter again.
2. Use Spreadsheet view. Switch to Spreadsheet layout for a grid-like experience where you can tab through cells and fill in properties rapidly.
3. Import from CSV. If you have a list of items in a spreadsheet, use the import feature (Settings > Import/Export) to bring them in at once.

Tips

• Capture first, refine later. Do not let the number of properties slow you down. Create work items with just a title, then add details as context becomes available.
• Use identifiers in communication. When discussing work in chat, comments, or meetings, refer to items by their identifier (e.g., MOB-42). SetGet automatically links identifiers in descriptions and comments.
• Set priority early. Even a rough priority helps the team understand relative importance when looking at the backlog.
• Break large items into sub-items. If a work item feels too big to complete in one cycle, use the parent/child relationship to split it into manageable pieces.
• Add context in the description. A good description saves time later. Include acceptance criteria, reproduction steps (for bugs), design references, or links to relevant documents.

Related pages

• Create a Project — Previous tutorial: set up your project
• Collaborate on Work Items — Next tutorial: work with your team on items
• Organize and View Work — Use layouts and filters to manage your backlog
• Tutorials Overview — Browse all available tutorials