Private tasks keep internal project work hidden from customers. When a project contains several internal tasks, changing each task’s visibility manually can be time-consuming and easy to miss.

You can standardize task privacy through a project template, or set it programmatically through the Rocketlane REST API.

Choose a method

Private tasks in a project template

Use a project template when projects should start with predefined private work. You can set privacy at two levels:

• Individual tasks: mark only the tasks that should be hidden.
• An entire phase: mark the phase, and every task in it is private.

Mark a phase as private

1. Open the project template from Templates > Project templates.
2. In the plan, click the phase name to open its details.
3. Click the More actions menu (three dots) in the phase details and select Mark as private.

Mark a task as private

1. Open the project template.
2. Click the task to open its details.
3. Click the More actions menu (three dots) in the task details and select Mark as private.

Template changes are saved automatically. When a project is created from the template, the privacy settings carry into the project.

Create a private task using the REST API

For tasks created through an integration, include "private": true in the task creation request.

Endpoint

POST https://api.rocketlane.com/api/1.0/tasks

Example request

{
  "taskName": "My task",
  "project": {
    "projectId": 12345
  },
  "private": true
}

The task is created as private and is not shared with customers.

Make an existing task private using the REST API

To change an existing task, send "private": true in an update request.

Endpoint

PUT https://api.rocketlane.com/api/1.0/tasks/{taskId}

Replace {taskId} with the ID of the task you want to update.

Example request

{
  "private": true
}

Permissions

Who can change visibility depends on the permission set. Each permission can be scoped to private, shared, or both.

Things to know

• Template privacy standardizes visibility across repeatable project structures.
• Tasks created in a private phase are private automatically.
• A task inside a private phase, or under a private parent task, cannot be changed to shared. The REST API rejects the request.
• The API method suits tasks that are created or updated outside the Rocketlane interface.
• Use the Boolean value true, without quotation marks, when setting the private property in a JSON request.

FAQ

Can I make every task in a phase private?

Yes. Mark the phase as private in the project template. Every task in that phase, including tasks added later, is private.

Can I make only selected template tasks private?

Yes. Mark the required tasks as private without changing the visibility of the phase.

Can an integration create a task as private?

Yes. Include "private": true when creating the task through the REST API.

Can I change an existing task from shared to private through the API?

Yes. Send a PUT request for the task with "private": true in the request body.

Why can't I make a task in a private phase shared?

Tasks follow the privacy of their phase or parent task. To share the task, move it to a shared phase, or make the phase shared first.

Which method should I use?

Use a project template when the same privacy structure should apply to repeatable projects. Use the REST API when task creation or visibility is controlled by an integration.

Summary

• Private tasks are hidden from customers.
• In a project template, use More actions > Mark as private on a task or on a whole phase.
• Projects created from the template keep those privacy settings.
• Tasks in a private phase are always private and cannot be made shared.
• Integrations can create or update private tasks with "private": true through the REST API.