If you’re leading a customer success team or managing projects in Totango, you know the pain: work falls through the cracks, tasks don’t get done, and it’s hard to keep everyone on the same page. This isn’t another “just use the dashboard!” fluff piece—it’s a real guide for people who want to actually get things done and avoid common Totango headaches.
Whether you’re new to Totango or have been poking around its features for a while, this guide will show you—step by step—how to assign and manage tasks for your team, what works (and doesn’t), and where to avoid wasting time. Let’s get into it.
1. Get Clear on Why You’re Assigning Tasks in Totango
Totango is built for customer success teams, but its task features aren’t magic. If your team doesn’t know what needs to happen—or why—you’ll end up with clutter and confusion.
Start here: - What do you actually need tracked? (Onboarding steps, QBRs, renewals, follow-ups, etc.) - Who needs to do what? Be concrete. “Someone should email the customer” isn’t good enough. - Do you want visibility for yourself, or reminders for your team, or both?
Pro tip: Totango isn’t a full-blown project management system. Use it for customer-facing tasks, not your whole company’s to-do list.
2. The Anatomy of a Task in Totango
Before you start assigning, know what you’re working with. In Totango, a “task” is a specific action tied to an account, success play, or touchpoint.
A Totango task has: - A title (keep it clear and action-oriented) - An assignee (must be a user in your Totango workspace) - A due date (don’t skip this) - Optional: details, priority, and attachments
What’s missing:
Tasks aren’t great for big, cross-team projects. There’s no dependency management, and recurring tasks are limited. If you need Gantt charts or Kanban boards, look elsewhere.
3. Step-by-Step: Assigning a Task to a Team Member
Here’s how to actually get a task onto someone’s plate in Totango. There are a few ways in, but let’s start with the basics.
Step 1: Navigate to the Right Account or Segment
- Go to “Accounts” and find the customer you want to assign a task for.
- Or, use the “Segments” view if you’re working with a group.
Step 2: Add a Task
- Click the “Add Task” button (usually up top or in the account timeline).
- Fill out the task details:
- Title: Make it clear. “Schedule kickoff call” beats “Call.”
- Description: Add context. If it’s a follow-up, note what it’s about.
- Due date: Pick something realistic. Totango will nudge the assignee, but only if this is filled out.
- Assignee: Choose your team member from the drop-down. If you can’t find them, they might not have access to this account.
Step 3: Save and Notify
- Hit “Save.” Totango will usually send an email or in-app notification to the assignee.
- Double-check that the task shows up in the account’s activity timeline and on the assignee’s dashboard.
What to watch for:
If you assign tasks without clear context, expect confusion. Always put enough info that someone else could pick it up cold.
4. Assigning Tasks via SuccessPlays (For Repeatable Work)
If you’re tired of assigning the same tasks over and over, use SuccessPlays—Totango’s automation for recurring workflows.
Step 1: Build a SuccessPlay
- Go to “Automation” > “SuccessPlays.”
- Click “Create SuccessPlay.”
- Set the trigger criteria (e.g., “When account health drops,” or “When onboarding starts”).
Step 2: Add Tasks to the SuccessPlay
- For each step, add a task:
- Title, description, due date offset (like “3 days after trigger”)
- Assign to a role (e.g., “CSM,” “Onboarding Manager”) or a specific user
- Save the SuccessPlay.
Step 3: Test It
- Trigger the SuccessPlay on a test account to see if tasks land where you expect.
Honest take:
SuccessPlays are great for consistency, but they’re only as good as your logic. If your triggers are too broad, you’ll spam your team with irrelevant tasks. Start small and refine over time.
5. Managing and Tracking Tasks
Assigning is only half the battle. Here’s how to actually keep track of what’s getting done.
Where to See Tasks
- Your Tasks: Click “My Tasks” from the main menu. You’ll see tasks assigned to you, sorted by due date.
- Team Tasks: Use the “Team Tasks” or “Tasks” tab under “Accounts” or “Segments” to see tasks by account, due date, or assignee.
- Dashboard Widgets: Add “Task” widgets to your dashboards for a quick view.
Updating Status
- Mark tasks as complete once done. Don’t let them linger—this just creates noise.
- If a task is blocked or needs to be reassigned, edit it right in the timeline or task list.
Filtering and Sorting
- Use filters to quickly find overdue tasks, unassigned tasks, or tasks by team member.
- Sort by due date to see what’s on fire (or about to be).
Pro tip:
If you’re a manager, set a weekly calendar reminder to review open tasks. Totango won’t do this for you.
Notifications: The Good and Bad
- Totango sends email and in-app notifications for new and overdue tasks.
- These can be helpful—or just become spam. Tell your team to set their notification preferences so they don’t tune everything out.
- There’s no way to require a comment on completion—so if you want status updates, you’ll have to ask for them.
6. Tips That Actually Make Task Management Work
Here’s what works in real teams (and what to skip):
Do: - Use clear, specific titles and descriptions - Assign tasks to real people, not “the team” - Review and clean up old or irrelevant tasks regularly - Use SuccessPlays for repeatable processes, but keep them tight and focused
Don’t: - Assign tasks with no due date—they’ll get ignored - Rely on Totango tasks for detailed project plans or internal-only work - Let overdue tasks pile up: they become background noise
Ignore: - Fancy dashboards full of vanity stats. Focus on what’s overdue and what’s coming up, not task “completion rates” for their own sake. - Over-customizing task fields. The basics (title, assignee, due date) are usually enough.
7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)
- Everyone ignores the tasks: Usually because there’s no accountability or because tasks are too vague. Set expectations for follow-up and use clear language.
- Tasks assigned to the wrong people: Double-check account assignments. If someone isn’t showing up in the assignee list, check their permissions.
- Tasks without context: Add just enough info so someone else could take over without extra meetings.
- Automation overload: Too many SuccessPlays firing off? Audit them each quarter. More automation is not always better.
8. When to Use Something Else
Totango tasks are solid for customer-related to-dos, but don’t force it. If you need: - Cross-functional project management - Recurring tasks with complex rules - In-depth reporting or time tracking
…use a dedicated tool (Asana, Jira, ClickUp, etc.) and keep Totango focused on what it does best.
Wrapping Up
Assigning and managing tasks in Totango doesn’t have to be a headache. Stick to the basics: use clear titles, assign to the right people, set real due dates, and keep things tidy. Don’t overcomplicate it—iterate as you go, and adjust when something isn’t working.
In the end, the goal is simple: keep your team focused on what matters, and let Totango handle the reminders. If it’s not making life easier, change your approach.