Overview:
The purpose of Project Warnings is to shift PM focus from continuously reviewing all projects to proactively addressing the few that need immediate action. By consolidating critical status indicators - such as inactivity, approaching deadlines, or unassigned tasks - into a single, scannable column, PMs can quickly identify risks and prioritize their workflow effectively.
What are Project Warnings?
Project Warnings are automated alerts that surface when a project meets certain risk criteria, such as overdue tasks, unassigned roles, or lack of recent activity. These warnings are designed to help you:
Spot issues early
Understand what’s causing delays
Take corrective action quickly
Keep customers and internal teams aligned
Stay on track with planned timelines
Each warning includes Low, Medium, or High severity based on how far the project deviates from expected conditions.
How to Access and Interpret Project Warnings:
To use the Project Warnings feature, you must first enable the corresponding column on your Project List page.
Navigate to the Project List page.
Locate the Column Selector near the top right of the list.
Scroll down and Toggle ON the column labeled "Warnings". The warnings will now appear as inline analytic indicators for each project.
Review the list to identify any projects displaying a warning indicator.
Hover over a specific warning indicator to view the detailed trigger and meaning.
Take action based on the warning type. For example, a "Hot Potato" requires reviewing active tasks that are missing assignees, while a "Stale" warning indicates the need for a Project update.
Note: This feature is available to users with Admin, Manager, and GUIDE license types. Warnings update in real-time as project data changes.
Understanding Warning Types and Triggers
There are 8 distinct Project Warnings, each triggered by a specific set of project data conditions:
Warning | Meaning/Recommendation | Trigger Condition | Severity |
Stale | The project has had no recent progress and may be slipping off track. Review recent activity, follow up with the project owner, and re-engage the customer or internal team as needed. | No activity in 5+ days - For more info on this read "How Project activity is calculated" below | Medium (5-9d), High (10+d) |
Late Makers | Multiple tasks are overdue, indicating workflow delays. Identify the blockers, reassign or reprioritize tasks, and communicate timeline impacts to stakeholders. | 3+ overdue tasks | Low (3-4), Medium (5-9), High (10+) |
Unfulfilled Roles | Required internal roles haven’t been assigned, which may slow down execution. Assign missing owners as soon as possible to restore accountability and momentum. | 1+ unfulfilled internal roles | Low (1), Medium (2-3), High (4+) |
Hot Potato | There are unassigned active tasks that need ownership. Review these tasks and quickly assign the appropriate team members to prevent delays. | 1+ unassigned active tasks | Low (1-2), Medium (3-4), High (5+) |
Stuck Tasks | One or more tasks are marked as STUCK and need intervention. Investigate the cause, coordinate with task owners, and remove blockers to keep the project moving. | 1+ task with STUCK status | Low (1), Medium (2-3), High (4+) |
Lonely | Few or no customer users are invited, which limits engagement and visibility. Invite the appropriate customer stakeholders to ensure active participation and alignment. | < 5 customer users invited | High (0), Medium (1-2), Low (3-4) |
Cloudy with a chance of escalation | The forecasted end date is slipping past the planned timeline. Review task delays, adjust the project plan, and notify stakeholders of potential timeline risks or required escalations. | Forecasted end date is later than Planned End Date | Medium (1-7d), High (8+d) |
Truant | The project is past its due date and requires immediate attention. Reassess outstanding tasks, update expectations, and communicate revised timelines to keep stakeholders informed. | 3+ days past due date | Medium (3-13d), High (14+d) |
How to Clear Warnings
Warnings automatically clear once the underlying issue has been resolved. For example:
Updating or completing overdue tasks clears Late Makers
Assigning roles clears Unfulfilled Roles
Updating STUCK tasks clears Stuck Tasks
Inviting customer users clears Lonely
Progress activity removes Stale
No action is needed within the warnings menu itself - fix the underlying condition and the warning disappears.
How Project Activity Is Calculated
The Stale warning is based on the project’s updated_at timestamp, which reflects the last time project-level data was modified. Not all actions in a project count as “activity.” Only specific updates to the project itself will refresh this timestamp.
Below is a clear breakdown of what does and does not update a project's updated_at value.
Actions That Do Update project.updated_at
These actions are considered meaningful project activity and will reset the “Last Updated” timestamp:
Project-Level Changes
Project Name Changes
Project Summary Updates
Includes internal and external summaries
PM Note Updates
Internal or external notes
Project Timeline Modifications
Start Date
Due Date
Forecasted End Date
Project Administration Actions
Project Status Changes (via
UpdateStatus)Project Manager Reassignment
Project Custom Field Updates
Project Save Operations
Any direct
Save()call on the project entity
Project Role Updates
Adding, removing, or modifying internal roles
Project Member Changes
Adding or removing internal or external members
Project Tags Changes
Adding or removing tags
These changes indicate direct interaction with the project settings or structure - so they count as valid updates for determining whether a project is active.
Actions That Do Not Update project.updated_at
The following task-level actions do NOT reset the project’s “Last Updated” timestamp. Even if these activities occur, the project may still be flagged as Stale.
Task-Level Changes
Creating tasks
Updating tasks
Deleting tasks
Changing task statuses
Assigning or unassigning tasks
Modifying task start or end dates
Adding comments to tasks
Other Non-Updating Events
Time tracking entries
Logging or editing time on tasks does not update the project
Important:
If a task-level change causes the project’s forecasted end date to change, the timestamp will update because the timeline modification is a project-level update.
10 Best Practices for Managing Project Warnings
Project Warnings are most effective when they’re used as part of your regular project management routine. The tips below will help you stay proactive, reduce delays, and keep both internal teams and customers aligned.
1. Review Warnings Daily
Make it a habit to check your Project Warnings at the start of each day. High-severity warnings often indicate time-sensitive issues that, if ignored, can escalate into larger problems.
Tip: Focus on High warnings first, then resolve Medium, and finally clear Low items.
2. Address Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms
Warnings like Late Makers or Stuck Tasks often point to deeper workflow problems. Instead of just marking tasks complete, identify what caused the delay:
Was the role unassigned?
Was the customer unresponsive?
Was documentation missing?
Fixing the underlying issue reduces future warnings.
3. Assign Clear Ownership
Many warnings stem from missing ownership. Ensure every task—especially critical path items—has a designated owner.
Best practice: During project kickoff, confirm all internal roles and assign any unowned tasks.
4. Keep Task Statuses Accurate
Using the STUCK status only when truly necessary helps surface problems early. Make sure your team updates task statuses regularly so warnings accurately reflect project health.
5. Use Warnings to Prioritize Communication
Warnings often highlight when communication is needed—whether with customers, internal teams, or stakeholders:
Stale: Check in with the customer.
Lonely: Invite key customer participants.
Cloudy: Notify stakeholders of timeline risks.
Proactive communication builds trust and reduces surprise escalations.
6. Reassess Timelines Regularly
If you frequently see Cloudy or Truant warnings, it may mean planning assumptions need adjustment. Revisit timelines, dependencies, and workload distribution.
7. Leverage Warnings for Team Coaching
Warnings can reveal patterns across your team:
Frequent Hot Potato = unclear task assignment process
Frequent Stale = lack of customer engagement strategy
Frequent Stuck Tasks = training opportunities for troubleshooting
Use these patterns for coaching, training, and continuous improvement.
8. Resolve High-Severity Items Within 1–2 Days
High-severity warnings indicate serious risk. Act quickly to prevent customer escalations and missed deadlines.
Examples:
10+ overdue tasks
8+ days past the planned end date
No activity for 10+ days
9. Track Project Updates Consistently
Keep a routine of manually updating project-level information, even for small changes. Examples:
Add a PM note after key customer interactions
Update the project summary with recent progress
Adjust task timelines if dependencies shift
Consistent project updates help ensure the Stale warning reflects actual engagement and prevent unnecessary alerts.
10. Incorporate Warning Review Into Weekly Meetings
Include a brief review of warning trends in your weekly team sync:
Which warnings increased this week?
Which projects are at risk?
Are there common blockers to remove?
This keeps everyone aligned and drives accountability.
FAQs:
Q: What specific actions trigger an update and prevent a project from being marked "Stale"?
A: Any administrative or structural change to the project entity will update the
project.updated_at(Last Update) column. This includes changing the Project Name, Summary, Timeline dates, Status, PM/Member assignments, Custom Fields, or Tags.
Q: Why is my project still marked "Stale" even though my team is actively working on tasks?
A: The "Stale" warning is based on project-level administrative updates, not task execution. Creating a task, changing a task status, or adding a comment to a task does not update the
project.updated_atdate. A PM must perform a project-level change (like updating the status or a key date) to clear the "Stale" warning.
Q: Do I need a specific license to view Project Warnings?
A: Yes. This feature is restricted to users with Admin, Manager, or GUIDE license types.
Q: How quickly do warnings update when a change is made?
A: Project Warnings update in real-time as the underlying project data changes.