How to Make Subtasks in Microsoft Project

Quick summary

Creating subtasks in Microsoft Project lets you break large deliverables into smaller, manageable work items organized under a summary task. Use the Indent Task button or the keyboard shortcut Alt+Shift+Right Arrow to instantly establish parent-child task relationships in your project plan.

Steps

1. Open Microsoft Project and create tasks for your project in the task list.
2. Add durations to each task to support accurate timeline planning.
3. Click the task you want to convert into a subtask, ensuring it is positioned directly below its intended parent task.
4. On the Task tab, click the Indent Task button (right-facing arrow), or press Alt+Shift+Right Arrow to indent the task.
5. Confirm the task is now a subtask — it will appear indented, and the task above automatically becomes its summary task with a collapse/expand control.