Main Use Cases

Main Use Cases

10 categories cover what every Subitem Automations user actually does. Pick the one that matches your goal.
Each category is a guided walkthrough with examples and recipe links. Once you've found the pattern you need, use  All available automations⁠  to grab the exact recipe text from the marketplace.
Visual recipe-card thumbnails for each category are coming in a follow-up pass.

Where should I start?

Your goal
Start here
Keep parent and subitems aligned (status, owner, priority, dates)
 Sync values between parent & subitem⁠ 
Manage dates across parent and subitems (sync, offset, weekend handling)
 Date & timeline automations⁠ 
Have subitems created automatically (from templates, status changes, dropdown labels)
 Create subitems automatically⁠ 
Push subitem totals up to the parent (sum, count, earliest start, latest end)
 Roll-ups⁠ 
Target only specific subitems by name (e.g. "QA" subitems get a different rule)
 Smart rules & by-name automations⁠ 
Move, archive, or copy subitems based on status
 Move, archive & copy subitems⁠ 
Notify the right people when something changes
 Notifications & alerts⁠ 
Block parent status until subitems are done, or chain subitems in sequence
 Parent-to-subitem dependencies⁠ 
Run automations on a schedule, on a specific date, or recurring
 Time-based automations⁠ 
Convert items into subitems (or vice versa), across boards
 Convert items ↔ subitems⁠ 


 Sync values between parent & subitem⁠ 

Keep parent and subitems aligned — on creation, on every change, or both directions. The most-used family in the app: 17 recipes covering Status, Date, Person, Connect, Numbers, Text, Dropdown, and more.
Common use cases:
  • Project kickoffs where the parent's status drives every subitem
  • Owner assignment that flows from parent to all tasks
  • Mirrored values across boards via Connect columns


 Date & timeline automations⁠ 

Sync, offset, and auto-shift dates between parent and subitems. 19 recipes for project templates, deadline management, and timeline coordination.
Common use cases:
  • Project templates with per-task lead times — change the project date, every subitem date recalculates
  • Roll up subitem timelines to a parent's earliest start / latest end
  • Weekend-safe deadlines that auto-shift to a workday


 Create subitems automatically⁠ 

Auto-create subitems from templates, dropdown labels, status changes, or another board. 15 recipes for repeatable patterns.
Common use cases:
  • Order processing — every order gets the same set of fulfillment subitems
  • Project kickoffs where status changes spawn the standard task list
  • Cross-board handoffs where a subitem creation triggers an item on another board


 Roll-ups⁠ 

Aggregate subitem data (sum, count, earliest start, latest end) up to the parent. 2 core recipes — small but high-leverage.
Common use cases:
  • Project progress visibility — parent timeline reflects the subitems' actual work
  • Budget roll-ups where parent totals match the sum of subitem costs
  • Dashboard reporting that uses parent values driven by subitem activity


 Smart rules & by-name automations⁠ 

Target only specific subitems by name, status, or other conditions. 11 recipes for when "all subitems" is too broad.
Common use cases:
  • QA-only rules — only subitems named "QA" get a different deadline
  • Conditional sync — copy parent values only when subitem matches a status filter
  • Named-step workflows where each task has its own automation logic


 Move, archive & copy subitems⁠ 

Move, archive, or copy subitems between items and boards based on status. 8 recipes for workflow stages and cleanup.
Common use cases:
  • Auto-archive completed subitems to keep the board clean
  • Stage-based handoffs that move tasks between phases
  • Cross-board copying with column mapping for cross-team handoff


 Notifications & alerts⁠ 

Notify the right people when subitems or parents change. 6 recipes for handoffs and status visibility.
Common use cases:
  • Team handoffs where moving a subitem pings the new owner
  • Status-driven alerts (parent flips → subitem owners notified)
  • Update-triggered status changes for closing the loop on conversations


 Parent-to-subitem dependencies⁠ 

Block parent status until subitems are done, or chain subitems in sequence. 4 recipes for gated and sequential workflows.
Common use cases:
  • Milestone enforcement — parent can't move forward until all subitems complete
  • Sequential task execution where each step waits for the previous
  • Approval chains gated by subitem status


 Time-based automations⁠ 

Run automations on a schedule, on a specific date, or recurring. 3 recipes for time-driven workflows.
Common use cases:
  • Weekly review subitems auto-created every Monday
  • Fiscal cutoffs — when the quarter ends, freeze all "Active" subitems
  • Scheduled cleanup that flips or moves subitems on a target date


 Convert items ↔ subitems⁠ 

Convert items into subitems and vice versa, across boards. 9 recipes for restructuring work and cross-board handoffs.
Common use cases:
  • Restructuring — a task created as an item should live as a subitem under another item
  • Cross-board handoffs — a subitem hits "ready" and the next team needs it as a top-level item
  • Same-name reconciliation where new items auto-merge into existing item parents
Top recipes: see  the landing⁠  for all 9 (no individual articles yet)

Next up

  •  All available automations⁠  — the full catalog of 90+ recipes with byte-exact card text
  •  Set up your first automation⁠  — if you've picked your recipe and want to build it

Still stuck?

Email  hello@fantasymedia.io  — we usually reply within a few hours.