Download our Planner Quick Start Guide 👉 HERE and follow along.
What Is Microsoft Planner
Microsoft Planner is a task management tool that comes with Office 365 and Microsoft Teams. It helps you organize tasks, assign work to team members, and track project progress.
Planner uses a visual board to group tasks into buckets, making it easy to see who is working on what and how the project is progressing. This tool is ideal for teams that need to collaborate on projects and keep track of multiple tasks.
If you are familiar with Monday.com or Trello, you will see many similarities with Planner.
Tasks are assigned using cards where tasks are assigned to team members and task history can be viewed.
Tasks can be organized using buckets and easily moved from one bucket to another.
Buckets help you group tasks. For example, you can have buckets for different project phases or team departments.
You can also track progress and deadlines, filter data, and integrate Planner activity with other Microsoft applications, like Microsoft Teams or Outlook.
Microsoft Planner VS Project
Understanding the right tool for your project is crucial. Microsoft Planner is perfect for small to medium projects. However, it has limitations:
- Not for Large Projects: Planner isn’t designed for large, complex projects where managing resources, costs, and schedules is critical.
- No Task Dependencies: Planner doesn’t manage task dependencies or relationships between tasks.
For these needs, Microsoft Project is a better choice. It offers robust features for complex project management, including resource management, cost tracking, and scheduling.
Choose the tool that fits your project size and complexity: For straightforward tasks, go with Planner. For intricate projects, Project is the way to go.
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Getting Started with Microsoft Planner
You can access Microsoft Planner directly from the Office.com website or through Microsoft Teams on your desktop.
💡Planner is a browser-based application. It doesn’t have a locally installed version for Windows, though you can download it on iOS and Android.
Here’s how to get started:
- Log In: Log into your Office 365 account at Office.com.
- Open App Launcher: Click the App Launcher in the upper-left corner.
- Find Planner: If Planner isn’t visible, click “All Apps” to see the full list.
- Access Planner Hub: Click the Planner link to go to the Planner Hub.
The Planner Hub displays all the plans you have created as well as plans you have been added to by others.
How to Start a New Plan in Microsoft Planner
Starting a new plan in Microsoft Planner is simple:
- Click New Plan: Find the New Plan button in the upper-left corner and click it.
- Name Your Plan: Enter a name for your plan.
- Add to Existing Group (Optional): To share your plan with an existing Microsoft 365 group or Microsoft Teams team, use the drop down. Select the group, and all members will have access to the plan.
- Set Privacy Options: You can choose your privacy settings.
- Public: Anyone in your organization can view the plan.
- Private: Only team members you add can access the plan. Use this if the plan is just for you or specific teams.
Organize Your Plan with Buckets and Tasks
The Board View displays all your plans, which are organized into Buckets. Buckets group similar tasks together. You can organize them based on your preference, such as by department, project phase, or book chapter.
Creating Buckets
- Add New Bucket: Click “Add New Bucket.”
- Name Your Bucket: Enter a name for your Bucket.
Creating Tasks
Once your Buckets are ready, you can add tasks:
- Enter Details: Name the task, set a due date, and assign it to team members. Assigned members will receive an email notification.
- Add Task: Click the green “Add task” button
Adding Task Details
Click on a task to add more details:
- Labels and Colors: Assign labels and colors for easy identification.
- Progress and Priority: Set the task’s progress and priority.
- Dates: Specify start and due dates.
- Notes and Comments: Add detailed notes and comments (hyperlinks are clickable).
- Checklist Items: Include checklist items.
- File Attachments: Attach files from your computer, SharePoint, or a shared link.
💡 Displaying notes might hide checklist items, and vice versa on the summary card.
How to Easily Duplicate a Task
To duplicate a task in Microsoft Planner:
- Select Task: Click the Options button (three dots in the upper-right corner of the task card).
- Copy Task: Choose “Copy Task.”
- Customize: Name the new task and select which details to copy from the original task.
This feature saves time by letting you reuse task details without re-entering information.
Navigate Microsoft Planner with Keyboard Shortcuts
If you prefer using your keyboard over a mouse, try these shortcuts in Microsoft Planner:
- Tab and Shift+Tab: Move through the list of Buckets.
- ENTER: Start a new task in the selected Bucket.
Collaborate in Real-Time with Task Attachments
When you add a file as a task attachment in Microsoft Planner, it appears as a hyperlinked thumbnail.
Clicking the link opens the document in SharePoint.
Changes made to the document are saved directly in SharePoint. This applies to files uploaded from your local computer, which are copied to a SharePoint folder and function as regular SharePoint files.
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Managing Tasks in Microsoft Planner
Moving Tasks Between Buckets
To move a task to a different Bucket:
- Drag and Drop: Click and hold the top edge of the task, then drag it to the new Bucket.
- Edit Task Details: You can also change the assigned Bucket in the task’s details.
When you move a task to a new Bucket, any new team members assigned will receive an email notification and can review the task history.
Completing a Task
To mark a task as completed:
- Mark as Completed: Once a task is done, point to it and select the check mark.
- Revive a Task: If you need to make further edits, mark it as “In Progress” to unarchive it.
Deleting a Task
- Delete Task: Click the Options button and select Delete.
How to View All Your Tasks and Plans
To see all tasks assigned to you across all plans or to check the progress of all your plans:
- View All Plans: Select the Planner Hub to see all the plans you’re working on.
- View Assigned Tasks: Select Assigned to Me to see every task assigned to you in all plans, even those you have left.
Planner Views: Boards, Charts, and Schedule
Board View
In the Board view, you can arrange task cards using different Group By options:
- Buckets
- Assigned Team Members
- Progress
- Labels
- Due Date
- Priority
To focus on specific tasks and reduce clutter, use filters:
- Time Period: Late, Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Next Week
- Priority
- Progress
- Label
- Bucket
- Team Member Assignment
Filters work as toggles—click once to apply, click again to remove.
Charts View
The Charts view shows a visual report of task statuses:
- Task Status: Late, In Progress, Completed
- Bucket Overview: Number of tasks per Bucket
- Priority Overview: Number of tasks per priority
- Team Member Assignments: Task distribution among team members for workload balance
Schedule View
The Schedule view offers a calendar-style display of tasks by due date
How to Export a Plan to Excel
To export your plan information to Excel:
- Click Options: Find the Plan’s Options button to the right of the Plan’s Views.
- Select Export: Choose “Export plan to Excel”
Getting Started with Planner in Teams
Microsoft Planner in Teams centralizes tasks and plans across Microsoft 365. This helps you manage individual and team projects efficiently.
Adding the Planner App
- Select Channel: Open Teams and choose the channel you want to add Planner to.
- Add Tab: Click the plus button at the top of the screen to add a tab.
- Select Planner: Select the Planner app from the list or use the search bar to find it.
- Create Plan: Create a new Plan or select an existing Plan. Then click Save.
Now, you can view and manage your Planner tasks directly within Teams. To rename the plan, right-click its name and select Rename.
Download Planner Quick Start Guide PDF
Download our Quick Start Guide PDF to learn how to organize tasks, receive notifications, and manage projects effectively. This guide provides step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to make the most of Microsoft Planner.
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Leila Gharani
Founder of XelPlus and ten-time Microsoft MVP. Leila helps over 500,000 professionals master Excel, Power BI, and data automation through practical, real-world training.
