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Core Concepts

This page covers every core concept in Hypertask. Use it as a reference when building integrations or configuring your workspace.

A project is the top-level container for work. Think of it as a board — a single workspace where your team organizes tasks into sections.

Each project has:

  • Name and description — What the project is about.
  • Prefix — A short code (e.g., HT, API) used to generate ticket numbers like HT-42.
  • Unique ID — A numeric identifier used in the MCP API.
  • Members — The people (and AI agents) who have access.
  • Sections — The columns that define your workflow.
  • Views — Saved filter/sort configurations.
  • Labels — Custom tags for categorizing tasks.

Projects map 1:1 with boards in the UI. When an MCP tool refers to a board_id, it means the project ID.

Sections are the columns on a project board. They represent stages in your workflow.

Default sections when you create a project:

SectionTypical use
TodoWork that’s defined and ready to start
DoingActively in progress
DoneCompleted and verified

You can add, rename, reorder, or remove sections at any time. Common additions include Review, Build, Backlog, or Blocked.

Each section has:

  • Name — Displayed as the column header.
  • Visibility — Sections can be hidden without deleting them.
  • Rank — Controls left-to-right ordering on the board.
  • Section ID — Used by MCP tools to move tasks between sections.

Tasks are the core unit of work. Every task belongs to exactly one section within one project.

PropertyDescription
TitleShort, actionable summary of the work
DescriptionRich HTML content with full context, acceptance criteria, and links
Ticket numberAuto-generated sequential ID scoped to the project (e.g., PROJ-123)
PriorityUrgent, High, Medium, Low, or None
EstimateT-shirt sizing: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL
Due dateOptional deadline
StatusNormal, Archive, or Deleted
SectionCurrent column on the board
AssigneesOne or more team members responsible for the work
FollowersUsers who receive notifications (auto-added via @mentions)
LabelsCustom tags for categorization
SubtasksNested tasks for breaking down work

Any task can have subtasks — smaller units of work nested under a parent. Subtasks are full tasks themselves, with their own title, assignee, priority, and status. Use them to break complex work into trackable steps.

Tasks can be linked to each other with typed relationships:

RelationMeaning
RelatedToGeneral association between two tasks
BlockedByThis task cannot proceed until the linked task is done
BlockedToThis task is blocking another task from proceeding

Relations are bidirectional — creating a BlockedBy link on Task A to Task B automatically creates a BlockedTo link from Task B to Task A.

A task can have multiple assignees. All assignees:

  • See the task in their inbox
  • Receive notifications when the task is updated or commented on
  • Are responsible for completing the work

Use the hypertask_assign_user MCP tool to add or remove assignees programmatically.

Followers are users who receive notifications about a task without being responsible for it. Users become followers when:

  • They are @mentioned in a comment or description
  • They manually follow the task through the UI
  • They create the task (the creator auto-follows)

Comments are threaded discussions attached to a task. They serve as the primary communication channel for async collaboration.

Each comment supports:

  • HTML formatting — Bold, italic, code blocks, links, lists, and more. All comments use HTML, not Markdown.
  • @mentions — Reference team members by name. Mentioned users are auto-added as followers and receive inbox notifications.
  • Reactions — Emoji reactions on any comment for lightweight feedback.
  • Attachments — Files attached to comments for sharing screenshots, documents, or other artifacts.

Labels are custom tags you define at the project level. Use them to categorize tasks by type, area, or any dimension that matters to your team.

Examples:

  • bug, feature, chore
  • frontend, backend, infra
  • quick-win, tech-debt

Tasks can have multiple labels. Labels are filterable in views.

Views are saved filter and sort configurations for a project. They let you slice the board in different ways without changing the underlying data.

A view can filter by:

  • Section
  • Assignee
  • Priority
  • Label
  • Due date

And sort by:

  • Priority
  • Due date
  • Created date
  • Ticket number

Each project can have multiple saved views. They’re useful for creating focused perspectives like “My tasks”, “Urgent items”, or “Overdue work”.

The inbox is a unified notification center for each user. It surfaces work that needs your attention.

You receive inbox notifications when:

EventNotification
Assigned to a taskTask appears in your inbox
Comment on your taskNew comment notification
@mentioned in a commentMention notification
Task due date approachingDue date reminder
Task overdueOverdue warning

Inbox items can be archived once handled. Use hypertask_inbox_list to check notifications and hypertask_inbox_archive to clear them via MCP.

Teams are organization-level containers that group projects and members under a shared billing account.

Key aspects:

  • Seat-based billing — Each team member (human or AI agent account) occupies a seat.
  • Member roles — Control who can create projects, manage billing, or invite new members.
  • Shared projects — All projects within a team are accessible to team members based on their role.

A user can belong to multiple teams, each with its own projects, billing, and member roster.