Link task dependencies

Dependencies record that one task constrains another: “the design must finish before the build starts.” Once linked, the relationship shows as arrows on the Gantt chart and in each task’s edit view, so nobody starts work whose prerequisite is still open.

The four link types

Onplana supports the four standard dependency types, the same set you know from Microsoft Project:

• Finish-to-Start (FS): the predecessor must finish before the successor starts. This is the default and covers most real cases.
• Start-to-Start (SS): the successor cannot start until the predecessor has started. Useful for work that runs in parallel after a shared kickoff.
• Finish-to-Finish (FF): the successor cannot finish until the predecessor finishes. Useful for activities that must wrap up together.
• Start-to-Finish (SF): the successor cannot finish until the predecessor starts. Rare, but it exists for shift-handover style work.

Lag and lead time

Every link takes an optional Lag value in days. A positive lag adds a waiting period (“start two days after the design finishes”); a negative lag is lead time, letting the successor overlap the predecessor by that many days. Links with lag show the offset next to the type, for example FS +2d.

Link two tasks

1. Open the task and find its dependencies section. It has two lists: Predecessors (tasks this one waits on) and the tasks blocked by this one.

2. Pick the other task, choose the link type (FS, SS, FF, or SF), and set a lag in days if you need one. Lag defaults to 0.

3. Add the link. It immediately appears on both tasks and as an arrow on the Gantt chart.

Circular dependency protection

Onplana refuses any link that would create a loop. If task A waits on B, and B waits on C, then linking C to wait on A would mean nothing can ever start; the app rejects it with the message “This dependency would create a circular chain”. The check walks the whole dependency graph, so it catches indirect loops through any number of intermediate tasks, not just direct A-to-B-to-A pairs.

Note

On extremely large dependency graphs the safety check itself has a limit, and Onplana will ask you to simplify the chain rather than create a link it cannot validate. If you hit this, your schedule likely has more linkage than it needs.

FAQs

Do dependencies move dates automatically? No. A dependency is a recorded constraint, not an auto-scheduler. The Gantt chart draws the arrows so conflicts are visible, and you decide how to reschedule.

Are dependencies imported from Microsoft Project? Yes. Links from an imported plan come across with their type and lag intact. See Import from Microsoft Project.

Can I link tasks in different projects? The dependency picker offers tasks from the same project, so links are created within one project. For cross-project sequencing, track the relationship at the milestone level in each project.