Task Bulk Actions
Select multiple tasks and change their status, priority, dates, tags, or assignees in one action - or delete them all at once.
When you need to update several tasks at once - moving a batch to "In Progress", setting a group to high priority, tagging a set of tasks, or clearing out completed work - bulk actions let you do it in one step instead of opening each task individually. Select the tasks, pick an action from the toolbar, and it applies to all of them.
What you can do
Select multiple tasks
using checkboxes, Shift+Click for ranges, or Cmd/Ctrl+Click for individual toggles
Select all visible tasks
with one click
Change status
for all selected tasks at once - click a status directly on the toolbar
Change priority
for all selected tasks - click a priority directly on the toolbar
Set start or due dates
for all selected tasks
Add or replace tags
across selected tasks
Assign people
to all selected tasks
Delete multiple tasks
with confirmation
Duplicate a single selected task
(disabled when multiple tasks are selected)
Use keyboard shortcuts
to toggle complete, change priority, delete, and more
How to select tasks
In List View
- Click the checkbox on any task row to select it
- Shift+Click a second checkbox to select every task between the two
- Cmd+Click (macOS) or Ctrl+Click (Windows) to toggle individual tasks without affecting others
- Select All - click the checkbox in the list header to select all visible tasks (respects your current filters)
In Board View
Board View requires you to enter Select Mode first:
Step 1
Click the Select multiple toggle in the board header
Task cards now show selection indicators
click cards to select or deselect them
Step 3
When done, click the toggle again to exit Select Mode
The bulk action toolbar
When one or more tasks are selected, a toolbar slides in at the bottom of the screen showing:
Selection count
how many tasks are selected
Status buttons
one for each status in your Space. Click to apply that status to all selected tasks instantly.
Priority buttons
one for each priority. Click to set that priority on all selected tasks.
Tags
opens a picker where you can add tags to the existing ones or replace all tags on the selected tasks
Date
opens a picker to set the start date or due date on all selected tasks, with a clear option
Assign
opens a picker to assign people to all selected tasks
Duplicate
copies the task (only available when exactly one task is selected)
Delete
opens a confirmation modal listing the tasks that will be permanently removed
Clear selection
deselects all tasks without performing any action
Tags - add or replace
The tags action has two modes:
- Add Tags - keeps existing tags on each task and adds the ones you select. No duplicates.
- Replace - removes all existing tags and sets only the ones you select.
Choose the mode before applying. This gives you flexibility: use Add to layer on a new tag across many tasks, or Replace to standardise tags on a batch.
Date - start or due
The date action lets you choose which date to set (start date or due date), then pick a date from the calendar. You can also clear a date. If setting a start date that falls after the due date, PrimeTask warns you about the conflict.
Delete - with confirmation
The delete action shows a confirmation modal listing every task that will be removed. For tasks linked to CRM contacts or companies, PrimeTask handles the CRM cleanup automatically. Deletion is permanent.
Which views support bulk actions
| View | Multi-select | Bulk toolbar | Keyboard shortcuts |
|---|---|---|---|
| List View | Yes - checkboxes, Shift+Click, Cmd/Ctrl+Click, Select All | Yes | Yes |
| Board View | Yes - Select Mode toggle, then click cards | Yes | No |
| Calendar View | No | No | No |
| Gantt View | No | No | No |
List View has the most complete bulk action support, including keyboard shortcuts and range selection. Board View supports the same bulk operations but requires entering Select Mode first and doesn't have keyboard shortcuts or range selection.
Keyboard shortcuts for bulk actions
These shortcuts work in List View when one or more tasks are selected:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Toggle selected tasks complete/incomplete |
| Enter | Open the first selected task's detail page |
| Backspace | Delete selected tasks (opens confirmation) |
| Cmd+D / Ctrl+D | Duplicate (only when exactly one task selected) |
| Cmd+↑ / Ctrl+↑ | Increase priority of selected tasks |
| Cmd+↓ / Ctrl+↓ | Decrease priority of selected tasks |
See Keyboard Shortcuts for the full shortcut reference.
Things worth knowing
One-click status and priority
The toolbar shows your Space's statuses and priorities as coloured dots. Click one and it applies immediately to every selected task - no modal, no confirmation. This is the fastest way to batch-update status or priority.
Duplicate is single-task only
The duplicate button is disabled when multiple tasks are selected. To duplicate, select exactly one task. This is intentional - bulk duplication is not supported.
Bulk actions respect your filters
When you use Select All, it selects only the tasks currently visible after your filters and search. Hidden or filtered-out tasks are not selected.
Changes save immediately
Every bulk action saves as soon as you apply it. Status and priority changes from the toolbar dots apply with a single click. Modal-based actions (tags, dates, assignees, delete) apply when you confirm in the modal.
Bulk copy across Spaces
To copy several tasks at once into another Space, multi-select them and right-click any task in the selection. Choose Copy to Space… to apply the action to the whole selection. The destination Space's own statuses and priorities are used automatically. See Copy Task to Space.
Common questions
"Can I bulk-change the project for multiple tasks?"
Not from the bulk toolbar - project changes are made individually from each task's detail page or during editing. You can use filters to find tasks in one project, then bulk-change their status, priority, or tags.
"I selected tasks in List View, then switched to Board View. Are they still selected?"
Selections are view-specific. Switching views may clear your selection. Select tasks in the view where you want to perform the action.
"Can I undo a bulk action?"
No - bulk actions apply immediately and there's no undo. Double-check your selection before applying, especially for delete.
"Can I bulk-edit custom fields?"
Not from the bulk toolbar. Custom field changes are made individually on each task's detail page. See Task Custom Fields.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Copy a selection to another Space | Copy Task to Space |
| Filter tasks before selecting | Task Filters & Sorting |
| Use List View for bulk operations | List View |
| Use Board View select mode | Board View |
| Customise statuses and priorities | Custom Statuses & Priorities |
| See all keyboard shortcuts | Keyboard Shortcuts |
| Return to the Tasks hub | Tasks Overview |