Could Someone Give me Advice for Organizing Large Projects in Coda?

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Hello there, :wave:

I am working on a large project using Coda, and I am looking for advice on the best practices for organizing complex workflows and managing multiple tasks efficiently. The project involves coordinating with several teams, and I have been using Codas tables, views, and automations, but I am finding it challenging to keep everything streamlined as the project scales.

What is the best way to organize large projects in Coda? Should I use multiple documents or consolidate everything into one document with different sections? How do you handle cross-document linking and ensure everything stays organized? :thinking:

I am using tables for tasks; but I want to improve how subtasks are tracked within a larger project. Are there any recommended strategies for structuring tasks with dependent subtasks while keeping them flexible? I have set up a few basic automations; but I would like to automate more processes. Are there any advanced automation techniques that you have found helpful for project management?

Also, I have gone through this post; https://community.coda.io/t/best-practices-for-project-management-and-sales-in-coda-genai which definitely helped me out a lot.

What is the best way to collaborate with multiple people on different aspects of a project? How do you ensure that everyone is on the same page and that updates are easily accessible?

I would love to hear how others in the community have approached managing large projects using Coda, and any tips or resources you can share would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for your help and assistance. :innocent:

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Hello @david_cook,

I think the first question is: what does “large” mean to you? Are you referring to the size of the doc (number of pages, tables, rows), or is it more about the scope of the project—like the number of things you want to track or the processes/features involved (e.g., task progress, files, meeting notes, team members, purchases, finances, etc.)?

In terms of organization, I really like a structure where the original table serves as a database and is hidden. Additionally, I use one page per table, which, in my experience, makes it easier to locate and update tables when needed.

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Regarding dividing the content, I use one doc for each project. Since a doc can handle several thousand rows without issues, it’s rare to encounter a project so large that it slows down the doc (at least in my experience—I could be wrong). My current project management template has around 70 pages. Is your case larger than that?

My manager, who has access to all projects, consolidates only the necessary information into a second doc. For example, he doesn’t track subtasks’ progress but rather an overview of the project, such as the progress of macrotasks. To achieve this, I create a view that he can pull data from using cross-doc.

I also dedicate one page specifically to formulas and buttons that are used across multiple locations in the doc. Since you can name them, it’s much easier to edit anything when it’s centralized on one page. For example, on other pages, the button will simply trigger one of the buttons on the “Formulas Page.”

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Regarding subtasks, there are a couple of approaches:

  1. Same Table Approach:
    You can use subtasks as rows in the same table, with a column identifying whether a task is a parent or child. This is similar to how the subitems beta feature works, which I currently use. However, this approach can be a bit complex because you often need to separate parent tasks from child tasks. Additionally, you may want to summarize data in the parent task while allowing manual editing in child rows, which this approach doesn’t fully support.

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  2. Separate Table Approach:
    Another option is to create a second table specifically for subtasks and link it to the main task table. This allows you to open a task row and view its related subtasks in a separate table (as shown in the image). This approach makes it easier to manage different properties for subtasks compared to main tasks. However, it limits you to one level of subtasks and doesn’t provide a tree view as the first approach does.

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Personally, I use a combination of both approaches. As shown in the images, I have three levels in my table, and within each row, I include additional tables (e.g., “Atualizações” and “Subtarefas”) to manage updates and subtasks for each task.

I’m not sure if my answer fully addresses your question, but I hope it provides some helpful insights and sparks a discussion.

Best Regards,
Arnhold

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How can you create subtasks rows nested like that in Coda tables? That image you have in 1. Same Table Approach is something I’ve been trying to achieve in Coda and couldn’t figure out how to do. Thanks!

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Hi Andrea,

Welcome to the community!

Right click on a row, and then select sub-item:

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Regards
Piet

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Hi Piet! Thanks for the welcome :slight_smile:

Hmm, I seem to be missing that option when I right click - is that part of a different subscription plan than free? Or am I doing something wrong?

I just tested by creating a blank table:

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Ah no, Subitems are in beta, you can try to get it here

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Oops…

Sorry, I forgot it is still in beta. It has become deeply entrenched in my Coda usage.

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Ah thank you I realized there was a beta after doing some Googling but forgot to reply back, anyone know how long it takes to get added to it?

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Hi @david_cook letting you know subitems has now launched! Feel free to contact our support team with any questions, and we’re happy to help.

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you beat me to the punch!! I was just about to comment back here and say “huzzah!” :slight_smile: Thank you guys so much, wonderful work!!

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