How to set up Asana automation rules

How to Set Up Asana Automation Rules

Asana Rules automate repetitive project management tasks by triggering actions when specified conditions are met. This guide covers creating rules from scratch and using templates for common PM workflows.

Step 1: Access the Rules Builder

In any Asana project, click "Customize" in the top-right corner, then select "Rules." The Rules builder shows existing rules and a button to add new ones. Pre-built rule templates are available alongside the custom rule builder.

Step 2: Create a Status Change Rule

The most common Asana automation:

1. Click "Add Rule" > "Create custom rule"
2. Set trigger: "Task moved to a section" > select the section (e.g., "Done")
3. Add actions:
   • "Set assignee" to the project manager for review
   • "Add a comment" with completion details
   • "Mark task complete" after review period
4. Name the rule and click "Create Rule"

Step 3: Set Up Due Date Reminders

1. Trigger: "Due date is approaching" > "1 day before"
2. Actions:
   • "Add a comment" mentioning the assignee: "@assignee, this task is due tomorrow"
   • "Move to section" named "Urgent"

Step 4: Automate Task Assignment

1. Trigger: "Task added to project" or "Form submission"
2. Condition: Use custom field values to route (e.g., "Priority" = "High")
3. Actions:
   • "Assign to" the designated team member
   • "Set due date" to 3 business days from creation
   • "Add to project" if cross-functional routing is needed

Step 5: Create Multi-Action Rules

Asana supports multiple actions per trigger (Advanced plan and above):

• When task moves to "In Review":
  • Assign to reviewer
  • Set custom field "Review Status" to "Pending"
  • Add comment mentioning reviewer
  • Create subtask for "Review Checklist"

Step 6: Use Pre-Built Rule Templates

Asana provides templates for common workflows:

• Task moved to section -> Set assignee and due date
• Approval request -> Route to approver
• Priority changed -> Move to section and notify
• Task completed -> Create follow-up task
• Form submission -> Assign, set due date, add to project

Step 7: Integrate with External Tools

Asana rules can trigger actions in external tools via Zapier:

• Task completed in Asana -> Post to Slack channel
• New task created in Asana -> Create Jira issue
• Task moved to "Billing" section -> Create QuickBooks invoice

Automation Limits by Plan

Editor's Note: We configured Asana rules for a 20-person product team managing 8 projects. Initial setup: 14 rules across 4 project templates, took 3 hours. The most impactful rule was form submission routing — new bug reports automatically assigned to the on-call developer with a 1-day SLA. The team reported saving 45 minutes per day on task management overhead. Monthly cost: $30.49/user x 20 = $609.80 (Advanced plan).