If your team lives on chat and email but still drops the ball on tasks, you’re not alone. Assigning and tracking work is where things usually fall apart—not because people don’t care, but because it’s a hassle. This guide is for anyone who wants a straightforward way to use Microsoft Teams and Planner together, so nothing slips through the cracks. Whether you’re managing a project or just trying to wrangle daily to-dos, you’ll find real steps here (and a few warnings about what doesn’t work so well).
Why Use Teams and Planner Together?
Let’s cut to the chase: Teams is where conversations happen, but conversations alone don’t get work done. Planner is Microsoft’s answer to tools like Trello or Asana—a way to track who’s doing what, when. When you connect the two, you can assign, track, and check off tasks without flipping between apps. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than sticky notes and crossed fingers.
What’s good: - Everything’s in one place (chat, files, tasks) - Easy to assign, update, and check tasks in context - Works across desktop, web, and mobile
What’s not: - Notifications can get noisy or be easy to miss - Not as flexible as dedicated project management tools - Can get messy if you don’t keep things organized
Step 1: Add Planner to Your Teams Channel
First, you need to add Planner (sometimes called "Tasks by Planner and To Do") as a tab in your Teams channel. This is where your team’s shared task board will live.
- Go to the right team and channel in Teams.
- At the top, click the "+" (plus) tab.
- Search for "Planner" or "Tasks by Planner and To Do"—they’re the same thing for this purpose.
- Choose "Create a new plan" or pick an existing one.
- Name your plan something clear (e.g., “Marketing Tasks Q2”).
- Click "Save." Now you’ll see a new tab with your Planner board.
Pro tip:
If your org changed the app name, don’t panic—Microsoft’s branding is confusing. “Tasks by Planner and To Do” is just the latest name.
Step 2: Set Up Your Task Buckets
Buckets are how you group tasks—think of them like columns in Trello. Set these up before adding tasks, or things will get messy fast.
- Click "Add new bucket" and name it (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done; or break up by project phase, sprint, or team).
- Drag and drop to reorder buckets if needed.
What works:
Stick to 3-5 buckets. More than that, and you’ll spend more time scrolling than working.
What doesn’t:
Don’t let everyone on the team create buckets on a whim. Agree on them upfront, or you’ll end up with a graveyard of abandoned columns.
Step 3: Add and Assign Tasks
Now, start adding real tasks. Don’t just dump your whole project plan in here—add actionable items, not vague wishes.
- Click "+ Add task" under the right bucket.
- Give it a clear title (“Draft Q2 newsletter,” not “Newsletter”).
- Set a due date. If everything is “ASAP,” nothing is.
- Assign it to a team member (or yourself). Click “Assign” and pick from the list.
- Optional: Add a description, checklist, or attachments for context.
Pro tip:
If you’re assigning a task to multiple people, know that Planner treats this as “everyone is responsible,” not “each person must complete it.” Good for shared work, bad for accountability.
Step 4: Track Task Progress (Without Micromanaging)
The point of all this is to see what’s happening without bugging people all day.
- Tasks have three states: Not Started, In Progress, Completed.
- Drag tasks between buckets as they move along.
- Click into a task to update status, add comments, or attach files.
Views that help: - Board: Classic Kanban, good for small teams. - Charts: See who’s overloaded or what’s overdue, at a glance. - Schedule: Calendar view—helpful for deadlines, but kind of clunky for big projects.
What works:
Weekly standups or check-ins where you review the board together. Otherwise, it’s “set and forget” and things get stale.
What doesn’t:
Relying on notifications alone. Teams and Planner notifications are easy to tune out. Make checking the board a habit.
Step 5: Connect Tasks to Conversations
Tasks don’t live in a vacuum. Sometimes you need to talk about what’s blocking progress—or clarify what the task even is.
- You can copy a task’s link (open the task, click “...” > “Copy link to task”) and paste it into a Teams chat or channel post.
- Mention people using @ in the chat to pull them into the conversation.
- For big announcements (“All Q2 tasks are due Friday!”), use the channel’s Posts tab and link to the Planner board.
Pro tip:
Don’t create a new Teams tab or Planner plan for every small project. You’ll end up with more tabs than tasks. Stick to one per team/channel unless there’s a very clear need.
Step 6: Make Use of Filters and Labels
Once your board fills up, it can get overwhelming fast. Use filters and color-coded labels to make life easier.
- Filters: At the top of the Planner tab, filter tasks by assignee, due date, label, or bucket.
- Labels: Add colored labels for categories like “High Priority,” “Waiting on Review,” or “Client Work.”
What works:
Agree on what each label means—don’t let “Red” mean “urgent” to one person and “blocked” to another.
What doesn’t:
Going overboard with labels. If you have to scroll sideways to see all the colors, you’re doing too much.
Step 7: Review, Archive, and Clean Up
Old tasks pile up. Every few weeks (or at the end of a project), clean house.
- Mark completed tasks as “Done” so they drop to the bottom.
- Delete or archive plans you don’t need.
- Remove people who’ve left the team from task assignments—otherwise, you’ll be emailing ghosts.
What works:
A quick “board review” at the end of each project keeps your Planner from turning into a digital junk drawer.
What to Ignore (and What to Watch Out For)
- Don’t obsess over every feature. Planner is simple by design. If you need Gantt charts or automation, look elsewhere.
- Mobile apps exist, but they’re limited. Fine for checking tasks on the go, clunky for setup.
- Integration with Outlook Tasks and To Do: In theory, your assigned tasks show up in Microsoft To Do. In reality, it’s inconsistent and can confuse more than help.
- Automation: Power Automate can connect Planner with other tools, but don’t bother unless you have a very specific pain point and time to spare.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
The best Teams and Planner setup is the one your team actually uses. Don’t overthink buckets or labels. Start small, get everyone in the habit of checking the board, and tweak as you go. If something isn’t working, change it—no need for a six-week committee meeting.
Remember: the goal isn’t to track every breath your team takes. It’s to make sure nothing important gets missed, and everyone knows what’s on their plate. That’s it.