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Intro to Work Item Detail and Comments

Video Placeholder Duration: 4-6 minutes Topics covered: Work item detail view, editing properties, comments, activity tracking, collaboration features


The Work Item Detail View

When you click on any work item, you enter the Detail View — a comprehensive page where you can see and manage everything about that work item.


Detail View Layout

Header Section

  • Work Item ID — Unique identifier (e.g., WEB-123)
  • Title — What the work item is about
  • Type — Bug, Feature, Task, etc.

Main Content

  • Description — Detailed information, requirements, context
  • Full rich text editing with formatting

Properties Panel

  • State, Priority, Assignees
  • Due Date, Start Date
  • Labels, Cycle, Module
  • Estimates, Custom Properties

Activity Section

  • Comments and discussions
  • Activity history
  • Change log

Editing Work Items

Edit Title

Click the title to edit it inline. Changes save automatically.

Edit Description

Click into the description area to open the editor:

  • Rich text formatting
  • Markdown support
  • Embed images and files
  • Checklists

Change Properties

Click any property to modify it:

  • State — Select from dropdown
  • Priority — Choose urgency level
  • Assignees — Add/remove team members
  • Labels — Apply tags
  • Dates — Use date picker

All changes save automatically.


Comments

Comments are the heart of collaboration on work items.

Adding a Comment

  1. Scroll to the Comments section
  2. Click the comment input area
  3. Type your message
  4. Click Comment to post

Comment Features

  • Rich text formatting — Bold, italic, lists
  • Mentions — Use @username to notify someone
  • File attachments — Add images and documents
  • Reactions — React with emojis

Comment Actions

ActionDescription
EditModify your comment
DeleteRemove your comment
ReactAdd emoji reactions
ReplyThread your response

Mentions

Use @ to mention team members in comments:

@alice Can you review this design?

The implementation is ready for @bob and @carol to test.

When You Mention Someone

  • They receive a notification
  • The comment appears in their Inbox
  • They can click to jump directly to the work item

Why Mention?

  • Draw attention to specific people
  • Ask questions
  • Assign informal responsibilities
  • Keep relevant people informed

Activity Tracking

Every work item maintains a complete activity history:

What's Tracked

  • Status changes
  • Property updates
  • Comments added
  • Assignee changes
  • File attachments
  • Relation changes

Activity Log

Scroll through the activity section to see:

  • Who made the change
  • What changed
  • When it happened

Example:

Alice changed state from Todo to In Progress
2 hours ago

Bob added label: backend
Yesterday

Carol commented: "Ready for review"
2 days ago

Subscriptions

Stay informed about work items you care about:

Automatic Subscriptions

You're automatically subscribed when you:

  • Create the work item
  • Are assigned to it
  • Are mentioned in comments

Manual Subscriptions

Click the Subscribe button to follow any work item, even if you're not directly involved.

Notifications

Subscribed work items send you:

  • Email notifications for updates
  • In-app inbox notifications
  • Updates in Your Work activity

Work Item Actions

Access additional actions from the detail view:

ActionDescription
Copy LinkGet a shareable URL
DuplicateCreate a copy (Pro)
ArchiveMove to archive
DeletePermanently remove
Convert to EpicElevate scope (Business)
ExportDownload as CSV/JSON (Pro)

Keyboard Navigation

Navigate work items efficiently:

ShortcutAction
/ Move between work items
EnterOpen detail view
EscClose detail view
CCreate new work item

Relations Section

View and manage work item connections:

  • Sub-work items — Child tasks
  • Parent — Parent work item
  • Blocking — Items this work blocks
  • Blocked by — Items blocking this work
  • Relates to — Related items
  • Duplicate of — Duplicate items

Adding Attachments

  1. Scroll to Attachments section
  2. Click Add attachment or drag-and-drop files
  3. Supported: images, documents, spreadsheets, code files
  1. Scroll to Links section
  2. Click Add link
  3. Enter URL and optional title
  4. Link to external resources (Figma, docs, etc.)

Best Practices

Clear Descriptions

Write detailed descriptions so anyone can understand the work without asking questions.

Meaningful Comments

  • Ask specific questions
  • Provide updates on progress
  • Share blockers and concerns

Keep Activity Clean

Update status regularly so the activity log tells the story of the work.

Use Mentions Wisely

Only mention people who need to know — avoid notification fatigue.


Key Takeaways

  • The detail view is the comprehensive hub for each work item
  • Edit title, description, and properties inline
  • Comments enable team collaboration and discussion
  • Use @mentions to notify specific team members
  • Activity history tracks all changes
  • Subscribe to follow work items you care about
  • Attach files and links for context

Next Steps

Stay on top of all your notifications and updates with the Inbox.

Next Lesson: Intro to Inbox (Notifications)

Plane University