Task descriptions and comments just got rich

Editor’s note: Since this post was published, we’ve made some improvements to formatting text and emojis in Asana. Learn more about our rich text features.

When tasks have context, teams have clarity. When teams have clarity, they can move efficiently and effectively. Task descriptions and comments give teammates context and keep all necessary information and conversations side by side with your work. We just gave these features some polish: you can now add rich text and formatting to any task description or comment!

At Asana, we use task descriptions to take notes during meetings, add guidelines or goals to tasks we’ve assigned teammates, and create brief text “documents,” without needing another app. We use comments to discuss tasks with teammates, and keep the conversation with the work that needs to get done. Rich text makes it easier to structure ideas, highlight important items, and keep teammates up to speed with a quick scan of the task.

To add rich text, use common keyboard shortcuts (replace cmd with ctrl on Windows):

• cmd+b for bold

• cmd+u for underline

• cmd+i for italics

To add formatting, use these keyboard shortcuts (replace cmd with ctrl on Windows):

• Numbered lists, cmd+shift+7

• Indented and outdented numbered lists, cmd+] and cmd+[

• Bulleted lists, cmd+shift+8

• Monospace font, cmd+shift+m

Rich text keyboard shortcuts are a new and useful addition to our lineup of keyboard shortcuts that help you work more efficiently in Asana. Our favorite shortcuts include tab+q to quickly add a task, tab+y to mark a task for today, and tab+x to enter focus mode (especially useful for taking notes in a task description during a meeting or when writing long-form notes).

Let us know what other features you’d like to see in the comments or on the Asana community.