How do I update a task in asana vs creating a new one?

Hey @Brianna,

You can use paths in your Zap. First add an action to search for Task in Asana. Than add paths. 

Path A- If task exist -> Update Task

Path B - If task does not exist -> Create Task

You can read here more about paths .

​​​​​Hope this solves your problem.

Hi @Brianna 

You don’t need to use Paths in this case.

Try this instead...

1. Trigger: GSheets - New/Updated Row
2. Action: Asana - Find/Create Task
3. Action: Asana - Update Task
   1. Map the Asana Task ID from Step 2 using the ‘CUSTOM’ mapping option
      1. Check out this help article: https://zapier.com/help/create/basics/set-up-your-zap-action#set-up-your-action

@Troy Tessalone 
So this is the route I was trying to go and I might be doing something wrong, but when I add the “update task” option it has a field for “task” and below that field it says “Either search for an existing task, or "Use a Custom Value" and select the "Task ID" if the task was created by a previous step in this Zap.”

No options come up for existing tasks and when I select “custom fields” there isn’t a field that says “task ID” I did try to use “ID” in that field, but it pulled an error every time. I think this is the step I’m going wrong at, but I’m not sure how to fix it. 

Some of the others options that include “ID” are:
data ID
Workspace ID
Custom fields created by ID
Custom Fields enum Value ID
Custom Fields ID
Projects ID
Data ID

Am I just selecting the wrong option here? There isn’t one that says “Task ID” 

Hi @Brianna

It should be the ID from the previous step, like this...

What error are you getting?

Please post screenshot with how your Zap steps are configured, thanks.

@Troy Tessalone  Yes that’s the one I did. It pulls a “task: Unknown object: 1201255804463324” 

Here is the “update Asana task Action” The name and the notes are copied from the “find or create asana task” which is the previous action to this one. Is it pulling an error because the task before doesn’t always create a task and sometimes it just finds a task?

@Brianna 

Points to clarify…

Here is the “update Asana task Action”. The name and the notes are copied from the “find or create asana task” which is the previous action to this one.

Based on the screenshot the Name/Notes are being populated from the GSheet trigger step.

Is it pulling an error because the task before doesn’t always create a task and sometimes it just finds a task?

Can you please post a screenshot of the error?

If the Asana Find/Create action in Step 2 is configured correctly, there will always be an Asana Task ID created.

If there is a matching Asana Task found, then it returns that Asana Task ID.

Else, if there is a matching Asana Task found, then it creates a new Asana Task and returns the new Asana Task ID.

@Troy Tessalone 
Based on the screenshot the Name/Notes are being populated from the GSheet trigger step.

You are correct they do pull from our Gsheet responses, what I meant was the note section for this action was copied from the note section in the create or find asana task trigger. As in the “Notes” sections for both actions are identical (maybe that’s unnecessary) I assumed by setting it up this way that if someone submits a second response in the gsheet trigger then it would show the zap the fields that I want to update in the updated asana task….I hope that makes sense. 

Can you please post a screenshot of the error?
I actually figured out the error and that is no longer an issue. 

The issue that I’m having is, when a 2nd submission is made on our google sheet it still isn’t updating the task on Asana. It’s just creating a whole new one. 

Here’s an example. 

I ran a test and filled out our application on our google form which creates the new line on the attached google sheet (our trigger). In the test I apply for the front desk position and fill the rest out accordingly and I submit the form. The new line is created in Gsheets which triggers our asana find or create task and everything works up to this point. Beautifully. 

BUT
wait, I’ve decided I want to also apply for the instructor position so I go fill out the application form again. Instead of updating the Asana task that was already created the first time, a whole new asana task is being created so now I’ve got two asana tasks titled “Brianna-front desk” and “Brianna -Front desk, Instructor” 

How can I get it to just update the first one instead of creating a 2nd task. Is it possible?

@Brianna 

What value is being used from the GSheet for the Asana Find/Create Task step?

If that’s a unique value compared to other GSheet rows, then no existing Asana Task will be found, and that is why the Zap is creating a new row.

So you’ll want to use a lookup value that would be common across GSheet rows, for example, their email address.

NOTE: Posting screenshots can really be helpful to provide context in a show and tell manner.

I would think that I have it set up right since it does create the initial Asana task correctly with each applicant’s information. But while the columns stay the same, the rows are unique since each applicant’s information will be different. Everyone has to include an email address, but of course they won’t have the same ones. 

When the new asana task is created the name of the task pulls 3 different fields from the Gsheet and then in the Notes pulls several different fields from the GSheet. If the Name and Notes fields are the same in the “Find/ Create Task” and in the “Update Task” will those fields be the ones that update if new information is put into the spreadsheet. 

Thank you so  much for your patience on this! I’m still learning!

@Brianna 

Please post screenshots with how your Zap step 2 is configured.

@Troy Tessalone 

Right as you asked for that I realized what I was probably doing wrong. This is how it was configured, but I should be pulling those fields from the Create task action instead of my Gsheet right? 

 

So instead of the above configuration it should be like this?

Or am I still wrong? *facepalm*

@Brianna 

For Step 3, if this combo of 3 data points will always be unique, then that is why new Asana Tasks are being created.

For Step 4, it depends what you’re trying to achieve.

You could put a Filter before to only continue to Update if an existing Asana Task was found, as the scenario of a Task NOT Found would mean a Task is Created, then the same Task is Updated.

If you’re trying to append data to existing data, then you’d need to map data from the Asana Find/Create step (when Found = TRUE) plus the new data from the GSheet trigger step.