Set due dates relative to creation

Set due dates relative to creation

TL;DR: When a subitem is created, automatically set its date to today + a fixed offset. Useful for SLA-based workflows where every task is due X days after it was added — independent of the parent item's date.

What this does

The subitem's date is set to its creation date plus a fixed offset. The same offset applies to every new subitem on the board.
Example: every new subitem gets a Due Date 5 days after it was created.

When to use it

  • SLA-based workflows (every task due in X days from creation)
  • Support tickets, customer requests, inbound work
  • Due dates relative to when the task was added, not project start
  • Workflows where there's no meaningful parent date to anchor to
This automation fires for every new subitem on the board. If you want it to fire only for specific task names, use  Set due dates by task name (from creation)  instead.

Before you start

  • A Date column on the subitem (the date to set)

Set it up (3 minutes)

    Open Automate → Create on your board.
    Copy this recipe text and find it in your board's automation center: "When subitem is created, set due date to creation date + X days/weeks." Click Use Template.
    Configure the underlined fields:
Field
What to select
Example
subitem date
The date column on the subitem to set
Due Date
+ X days/weeks/months
Direction (+ or −), amount, and unit
+5 Days
    Click Create automation.

Test that it works

    Create a new subitem on the board.
    Confirm its Due Date = today + 5 days.

Common gotchas

  • Fires for every new subitem. If different task types need different timings, use the by-task-name variant instead.
  • Date column must exist on the subitem. If it doesn't, the automation has nothing to set.
  • Use negative numbers for dates BEFORE creation. Rare but possible — e.g. "due yesterday" workflows for backdated entries.
  • Creation date is the moment the subitem was added, not the parent item's start date. If you want to anchor to the parent, use  Set due dates by task name (from parent date)  or  Set per-task due dates using a Numbers column .

Next up

Related

  •  Date & timeline automations  (parent landing — see all date variants)
  •  Set due dates by task name (from parent date)  (parent-date variant)
  •  Set per-task due dates using a Numbers column  (parent-date variant with per-task offsets)

Still stuck?

Email  hello@fantasymedia.io  and we'll help you set up the right SLA timing for your workflow.