TL;DR
Highlights: awork Forms (with a practical example), project and task keys, manual automation triggers & calendar updates
Coming up on the roadmap: Workflows, custom task lists and design update
Recommended read on the new UI design by CPO Lucas
Feature highlights overview
awork Forms: Receive client tasks in a structured way
You know the drill: client requests come in unstructured and across all kinds of channels. Before the actual work can start, someone has to collect all the information and create the task properly.
To solve this, there's now awork Forms: a tool that lets you build forms for task creation in awork. awork Forms is open source, free, and can even be self-hosted.
Example: Your client has change requests for their website. Instead of an email saying "Can you take a look at this?", they use the form link you've created for them. The client fills in (required) fields, provides the URL, attaches a screenshot, and describes the desired change right away. They hit submit and the task automatically lands in the right project, in the right list, with all the information your team needs – optionally assigned to a person and prioritized.
That's (hopefully) the end of back and forth or missing information.
Project and task keys
Every project now has a unique key (e.g. ACME) that you can also customize. Every task gets a permanent number on top of that (ACME-42). This means there are now unique references in awork, which can also be used in Slack, emails, or calls. You'll spend less time searching or dealing with misunderstandings.
Key visibility can be configured at both workspace and project level:
Admins can enable keys for all projects in the workspace settings (General > Task settings > Show project & task keys for all projects).
Project managers can override key visibility per project in the respective project settings (General > Task and project key).
Manual automation triggers
Not every workflow should run automatically. That's why you can now start automations manually, whenever you need them.
For example: kick off your QA checklist before a client review, or start the "prepare invoice" flow when a project phase is complete.
To set it up, choose the new "Manual" trigger type when creating an automation, give it a name (e.g. "Prepare invoice"), add the corresponding actions, and save. The automation can then be triggered with one click via a new button in the top right corner of any project task's details.
Trusted workspaces for awork Connect
If you regularly collaborate with the same partner workspace via awork Connect, you no longer have to manually approve every single project invitation. Workspace admins can now mark partner workspaces as "trusted", which means invitations are automatically accepted. Your external partners can be staffed on projects directly and get started right away.
How to set up trusted workspaces:
Workspace settings > Connect > Trusted workspaces
Calendar integration: Tasks, bookings, and OOO capacity
Your awork calendar now reflects your actual workday and available capacity even better.
For one, the all-day row now shows assigned tasks and bookings, giving you a better overview of your week. You can activate both features in the calendar settings.
On top of that, "Out of office" calendar appointments can now affect your capacity in the planner – for example, when you have a doctor's appointment or need to leave early. Your team gets a clearer picture of when you're unavailable, and nobody assigns you tasks when you're already gone.
This can be activated here:
Calendar > Manage connected calendars (next to the settings) > Edit > Load "Out of office" appointments and treat as absences
Bonus for developers: awork CLI
With the awork CLI, you can manage projects, users, time entries, and more directly from the terminal. Built for automated workflows and AI agents. All open source on GitHub.
What's coming next
Workflows: Instead of setting up status sets, automations, and custom fields in every project individually, you'll soon define them once as a workflow and assign it to multiple projects. Change the workflow (e.g. add a new status), and all projects update automatically. Perfect for agencies that want to run a proven process consistently across many client projects.
Custom task lists: You need a curated task list that you can't build with filters alone – e.g. 8 hand-picked tasks from different projects for tomorrow's stakeholder meeting? Soon you'll be able to create your own lists, add tasks from any project via drag & drop, and sort them by your priority, without having to change the project structure.
We're also continuing work on complex filters, cross-project task lists, and the new UI design – more on that in the recommended read.
Recommended read
Our CPO Lucas recently shared the upcoming design update in his LinkedIn newsletter. If you want to know where awork is heading visually, this is your article.
Got questions or feedback? Just send us a message – we're grateful for any suggestions!