Bubble can be used to build lightweight project management tools with task boards, team workload views, deadline tracking, status updates, and simple Gantt-style timeline views. This tutorial covers designing the project and task database schema, building a Kanban-style task board, creating team workload and deadline tracking views, and adding status update workflows with notifications.
Overview: Building Project Management Tools in Bubble
This tutorial shows how to build lightweight project management features in Bubble — task boards, team workload views, deadlines, and status tracking — giving your team a custom PM tool without external subscriptions.
Prerequisites
- A Bubble app with user authentication and team/role setup
- Understanding of Bubble Data Types, Repeating Groups, and workflows
- Familiarity with Option Sets and custom states
Step-by-step guide
Design the project management database
Design the project management database
Create these Data Types: Project — fields: name (text), description (text), owner (User), members (list of Users), status (Option Set: ProjectStatus — Active, On Hold, Completed), start_date (date), due_date (date). Task — fields: project (Project), title (text), description (text), assigned_to (User), status (Option Set: TaskStatus — To Do, In Progress, Review, Done), priority (Option Set: Priority — Low, Medium, High, Urgent), due_date (date), completed_date (date), order_index (number). StatusUpdate — fields: task (Task), author (User), content (text), old_status (TaskStatus), new_status (TaskStatus).
Expected result: Your database supports projects, tasks with statuses and assignments, and status change tracking.
Build a Kanban-style task board
Build a Kanban-style task board
Create a project board page with 4 columns representing task statuses: To Do, In Progress, Review, Done. Each column is a Group with a header showing the status name and task count. Inside each column, add a Repeating Group: Do a Search for Tasks where project = Current Project and status = [this column's status], sorted by priority then order_index. Each task card shows the title, assigned user avatar, priority badge (colored dot), and due date. Moving tasks between columns changes their status via a dropdown or drag-and-drop plugin.
Expected result: A Kanban board displays tasks organized by status with the ability to move them between columns.
Create team workload and deadline views
Create team workload and deadline views
Build a team workload view: a Repeating Group of team members, each showing their name, avatar, number of active tasks (assigned_to = this member AND status is not Done :count), and a progress bar. For deadline tracking, create a timeline view: a Repeating Group of Tasks sorted by due_date ascending, with overdue tasks highlighted in red (due_date before today AND status is not Done). Add color-coded due date badges: red for overdue, yellow for due this week, green for future. Group tasks by week for a calendar-like view.
Pro tip: For a Gantt-like timeline, use a horizontal Repeating Group where each task spans a width proportional to its duration (end_date minus start_date) positioned based on start_date.
Expected result: Admins can view team workload distribution and upcoming deadlines at a glance.
Add status updates and notifications
Add status updates and notifications
When a task's status changes, create a StatusUpdate record logging the old and new status. Display status history on the task detail page as a timeline. Send notifications to relevant users: notify the assigned user when a task is moved to their queue, notify the project owner when tasks reach Review or Done, and notify the team when high-priority tasks become overdue. Build a notification bell in the header showing unread status changes. RapidDev can help build sophisticated project management features with real-time collaboration and advanced reporting.
Expected result: Status changes are tracked with a history log and relevant team members receive notifications.
Complete working example
1PROJECT MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE2=================================34DATA TYPES:5 Project: name, description, owner, members (list), status, dates6 Task: project, title, assigned_to, status, priority, due_date, order_index7 StatusUpdate: task, author, content, old_status, new_status89KANBAN BOARD:10 4 columns: To Do | In Progress | Review | Done11 Each column: RG of Tasks filtered by status12 Task card: title, assignee avatar, priority badge, due date13 Move: Change task status via dropdown or drag-and-drop1415TEAM WORKLOAD VIEW:16 RG of team members:17 Name, avatar, active task count, progress bar18 Overloaded indicator: when task count > threshold1920DEADLINE VIEW:21 RG of Tasks sorted by due_date:22 Red: overdue (due_date < today, status not Done)23 Yellow: due this week24 Green: future2526STATUS CHANGE WORKFLOW:27 1. Make changes to Task (new status)28 2. Create StatusUpdate (old/new status, author)29 3. Notify assigned user (if status changed to their queue)30 4. Notify project owner (if Done or Review)Common mistakes
Why it's a problem: Not tracking status change history
How to avoid: Create a StatusUpdate record every time a task status changes, logging the old status, new status, who changed it, and when
Why it's a problem: Loading all project tasks without filtering or pagination
How to avoid: Add filters (assigned to me, priority, due this week) and paginate each column to 20-30 cards
Why it's a problem: Not handling overdue task visibility
How to avoid: Add red highlighting and an overdue badge to tasks where due_date has passed and status is not Done
Best practices
- Track all status changes in a StatusUpdate log for accountability
- Color-code task cards by priority and due date status
- Show task counts per column and per assignee for workload visibility
- Add filters for assignee, priority, and due date range
- Notify relevant team members on status changes
- Paginate Kanban columns for projects with many tasks
Still stuck?
Copy one of these prompts to get a personalized, step-by-step explanation.
I want to build a lightweight project management tool in Bubble.io with a Kanban board, team workload view, deadline tracking, and status notifications. Help me design the database and key views.
Create a Kanban board with 4 columns (To Do, In Progress, Review, Done). Display tasks as cards showing title, assignee, priority badge, and due date. Add a team workload view showing each member's active task count. Highlight overdue tasks in red.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add drag-and-drop to the Kanban board?
Yes. Install a drag-and-drop plugin from the Bubble marketplace. When a task card is dropped in a new column, trigger a workflow that updates the task status to the target column's status.
How do I build a Gantt chart in Bubble?
Create a horizontal timeline Repeating Group where each task is a bar spanning from start_date to due_date. Calculate the bar width proportional to duration and position based on date. This requires careful responsive layout work.
Can team members comment on tasks?
Yes. Add a TaskComment Data Type and a comment section on the task detail page. See the commenting system tutorial for implementation details.
How do I calculate project completion percentage?
Count tasks where status = Done divided by total tasks in the project, multiplied by 100. Store this as a denormalized field on the Project and update when task statuses change.
Can RapidDev help build project management features in Bubble?
Yes. RapidDev can build comprehensive project management tools with Kanban boards, Gantt charts, team workload tracking, automated notifications, and reporting dashboards in your Bubble app.
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