Templates to make one date set the rest of the task dates

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I have been searching this topic for days and finally came up with a solution - but the conversation closed so I wanted to post this for others who need help. Our use case: we create templates for tasks that have to be completed in a staggered order either leading up to the deadline or starting with today’s date. For example, I start on today’s date and the next task has to be completed 2 days after that, then other 5 days after, etc etc. We need the staggered dates to be “Due dates” so that they show up in the my work section (timelines won’t work). I have found a great work around for this!

Step 1: Create the two date columns you need: 1. as your start/end date 2. as the due date.

Step 2: Create a Numbers column.

Step 3: Set the date 1 column all to the same date and input the number of days after (eg. 3 for 3 days later) or before (-3 for 3 days before) in the Numbers column - the date 2 column should be blank

Step 4: Create an automation for "When date 1 changes, adjust date 2 by the number of days in Numbers. See our example below - once you do this, the date 2 column should populate

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Step 5: Add a new group to the top called “Setting Dates” or something - add a task for setting the date (I called mine Set Project End Date/Start Date depending on case)

Step 6: Add a Dependency column and set it to STRICT, with date 1 column set for item dependencies

Step 7: Select all the items in the 2nd group and set the Dependency column to align START TO START with your setting the date task - all items should have this setting.

Step 8: If you want the date 2 column to show up in the “My Work” page for those with tasks assigned, assign deadline mode to the date 2 column.

Step 9: CELEBRATE ALL THE EXTRA TIME YOU WILL HAVE WITH THIS NEW HACK

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This is incredible, Helen! Thanks so much for sharing with our community! :heart:

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This seems SO promising, but I’m stuck on the automation. I no longer see the option to set “adjust {DATE} by number of days in {Column}” - did Monday remove that automation??

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To automate staggered due dates in Monday.com, here’s a practical and efficient solution. First, create two date columns: one for your start/end date and another for the due date. Then, add a Numbers column to input the days offset. Set the initial date in the first column, and populate the Numbers column with the required days offset. Next, set up an automation to adjust the second date column based on the changes in the first date and the values in the Numbers column. This way, the due dates are dynamically calculated and shown in the “My Work” section.

Additionally, create a “Setting Dates” group to manage the dependencies. Add a task for setting the initial date and use a Dependency column to align all tasks in the second group to start with this task. Ensure that the date changes trigger the dependency updates strictly. Assign the due dates to the relevant users to make them appear in their “My Work” page, allowing for seamless task management.