Autotask Projects Management

Overview

Autotask Projects extend beyond simple ticketing to handle structured work with defined phases, tasks, dependencies, and resource assignments. Projects are used for implementations, migrations, onboarding, and any work requiring planning and tracking.

Key Concepts

Project Structure

code

Project
├── Phase 1
│   ├── Task 1.1
│   ├── Task 1.2
│   └── Milestone: Phase 1 Complete
├── Phase 2
│   ├── Task 2.1
│   ├── Task 2.2
│   └── Milestone: Phase 2 Complete
└── Final Milestone: Project Complete

Project Fields

Field	Description	Required
`id`	Unique identifier	System
`projectName`	Project name	Yes
`companyID`	Client company	Yes
`projectType`	Type category	Yes
`status`	Project status	Yes
`startDate`	Planned start	No
`endDate`	Planned end	No
`projectLeadResourceID`	Project manager	No
`department`	Department	No
`estimatedRevenue`	Expected revenue	No
`contractID`	Associated contract	No

Project Status Values

ID	Status	Description
1	New	Just created
5	Active	In progress
8	On Hold	Temporarily paused
10	Complete	Finished
12	Cancelled	Terminated

Task Fields

Field	Description	Required
`id`	Unique identifier	System
`projectID`	Parent project	Yes
`phaseID`	Parent phase	No
`taskName`	Task title	Yes
`status`	Task status	Yes
`assignedResourceID`	Assigned tech	No
`estimatedHours`	Estimated effort	No
`startDate`	Task start	No
`endDate`	Task due date	No
`priority`	Task priority	No

API Patterns

Creating a Project

http

POST /v1.0/Projects
Content-Type: application/json

json

{
  "projectName": "Acme Corp - Office 365 Migration",
  "companyID": 12345,
  "projectType": 1,
  "status": 1,
  "startDate": "2024-03-01",
  "endDate": "2024-04-15",
  "projectLeadResourceID": 29744150,
  "description": "Migrate from on-prem Exchange to Office 365",
  "estimatedRevenue": 15000.00,
  "contractID": 54321
}

Creating a Phase

http

POST /v1.0/Phases
Content-Type: application/json

json

{
  "projectID": 98765,
  "title": "Phase 1: Planning & Assessment",
  "description": "Initial assessment and migration planning",
  "startDate": "2024-03-01",
  "dueDate": "2024-03-08",
  "estimatedHours": 16
}

Creating a Task

http

POST /v1.0/ProjectTasks
Content-Type: application/json

json

{
  "projectID": 98765,
  "phaseID": 11111,
  "taskName": "Document current Exchange environment",
  "status": 1,
  "assignedResourceID": 29744150,
  "estimatedHours": 4,
  "startDate": "2024-03-01",
  "endDate": "2024-03-02",
  "priority": 2
}

Searching Projects

Active projects for a company:

json

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "companyID", "op": "eq", "value": 12345},
    {"field": "status", "op": "eq", "value": 5}
  ]
}

Projects by lead:

json

{
  "filter": [
    {"field": "projectLeadResourceID", "op": "eq", "value": 29744150},
    {"field": "status", "op": "in", "value": [1, 5]}
  ]
}

Creating Time Entry on Task

http

POST /v1.0/TimeEntries
Content-Type: application/json

json

{
  "taskID": 22222,
  "resourceID": 29744150,
  "dateWorked": "2024-03-01",
  "startDateTime": "2024-03-01T09:00:00Z",
  "endDateTime": "2024-03-01T12:00:00Z",
  "hoursWorked": 3,
  "summaryNotes": "Documented Exchange server configuration",
  "billingCodeID": 29683556
}

Updating Project Status

http

PATCH /v1.0/Projects
Content-Type: application/json

json

{
  "id": 98765,
  "status": 5,
  "actualStartDate": "2024-03-01"
}

Common Workflows

Project Setup

•
Create project
- •Link to company and contract
- •Set project lead
- •Define timeline
•
Create phases
- •Logical groupings of work
- •Sequential ordering
•
Create tasks
- •Assign to phases
- •Estimate hours
- •Set dependencies
•
Assign resources
- •Assign tasks to techs
- •Balance workload

Project Execution

•Start project - Update status to Active
•Work tasks - Log time entries
•Complete tasks - Update task status
•Track progress - Monitor vs estimates
•Complete phases - Mark milestones
•Close project - Final status update

Project Billing

Projects can be billed:

•Fixed Fee - Set project price
•Time & Materials - Bill actual time
•Against Contract - Deduct from prepaid hours

Always associate project with contract for proper billing flow.

Error Handling

Common API Errors

Code	Message	Resolution
400	Invalid projectType	Use valid project type ID
400	EndDate before StartDate	Fix date sequence
404	Project not found	Verify project ID
409	Cannot delete - has time entries	Archive instead of delete

Validation Errors

"ProjectName is required" - Project name cannot be empty

"Invalid companyID" - Company must exist and be active

"PhaseID does not belong to Project" - Task's phase must be in same project

Best Practices

•Use phases - Organize work logically
•Estimate accurately - Track estimates vs actuals
•Assign tasks - Don't leave tasks unassigned
•Update status - Keep project status current
•Link to contracts - Ensure billing flows correctly
•Document milestones - Define clear completion criteria
•Regular reviews - Weekly project status checks

Related Skills

•Autotask Tickets - Ad-hoc service work
•Autotask Contracts - Project billing
•Autotask CRM - Company relationships