Understanding Task Types: Epic, Story, Task, and Issue Explained
Learn how to use Epic, Story, Task, and Issue task types effectively in project management - with real-world examples for any team.
Why Task Types Matter
Whether you're planning a product launch, organizing a marketing campaign, or managing software development, breaking down work into the right-sized pieces is crucial for success. Task types help you organize work hierarchically, making complex projects manageable and transparent for everyone on your team.
The Four Essential Task Types
1. Epic: The Big Picture Goal
An Epic represents a large body of work that can be broken down into smaller pieces. Think of it as your major initiative or milestone.
Real-world examples:
- Marketing Team: Q1 Product Launch Campaign
- Software Team: New User Authentication System
- Event Planning: Annual Company Conference
- HR Team: New Employee Onboarding Program
When to use Epics:
- The work takes multiple weeks or months
- Multiple people or teams are involved
- It has significant business value
- It can be broken into smaller deliverables
2. Story: User-Focused Features
A Story describes a feature or requirement from an end-user perspective. Stories are smaller than Epics but still substantial enough to deliver value.
Real-world examples:
- Marketing: Create social media content for product launch
- Software: Allow users to reset password via email
- Event Planning: Book venue and catering
- HR: Create welcome kit for new hires
When to use Stories:
- It delivers a complete piece of functionality
- It takes days to a week to complete
- It provides value to end users or stakeholders
- It's part of a larger Epic
3. Task: The Actionable Work Item
A Task is a specific piece of work that needs to be done. Tasks are concrete, actionable, and typically can be completed by one person in a short timeframe.
Real-world examples:
- Marketing: Design Instagram post for product announcement
- Software: Write password validation function
- Event Planning: Send venue contract for signature
- HR: Order company laptop for new hire
When to use Tasks:
- It's a single, well-defined activity
- It takes hours to a couple of days
- One person is responsible
- It has a clear done criteria
4. Issue: Problems to Resolve
An Issue represents a problem, bug, or blocker that needs attention. Unlike planned work (Epics, Stories, Tasks), Issues are often unplanned and require investigation or fixing.
Real-world examples:
- Marketing: Website analytics tracking broken
- Software: Login page not loading on mobile
- Event Planning: Catering vendor cancelled last minute
- HR: New hire paperwork missing signatures
When to use Issues:
- Something is broken or not working as expected
- There's a blocker preventing progress
- It requires investigation or troubleshooting
- It needs urgent attention
How They Work Together: A Practical Example
📊 Epic: Launch New Mobile App
📝 Story: Implement user registration
✓ Task: Design registration form UI
✓ Task: Build API endpoint for user creation
✓ Task: Add email verification
⚠️ Issue: Email verification emails going to spam
📝 Story: Create app store listings
✓ Task: Write app description
✓ Task: Design app screenshots
✓ Task: Submit to Apple App Store
Best Practices for Using Task Types
1. Start with Epics, Break Down Progressively
Begin by defining your major goals (Epics), then break them into user-focused deliverables (Stories), and finally into concrete action items (Tasks). This top-down approach ensures alignment with business objectives.
2. Keep Tasks Small and Actionable
If a Task takes more than 2-3 days, consider breaking it down further or promoting it to a Story. Small tasks are easier to estimate, track, and complete.
3. Use Issues for Reactive Work
Reserve the Issue type for problems and bugs. This helps separate planned work from unplanned firefighting, making it easier to track team capacity and velocity.
4. Don't Overthink It
The goal isn't perfect categorization—it's clarity and organization. If you're unsure whether something is a Story or a Task, pick one and move forward. You can always adjust later.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Everything is an Epic: If all your work items are Epics, you're not breaking down work enough. Epics should be rare, high-level goals.
- Too many Issues: If most of your work is Issues, you might be in reactive mode. Try planning more proactive work as Stories and Tasks.
- Stories that never close: If a Story stays open for weeks, it's probably an Epic in disguise. Break it down.
- Orphaned Tasks: Tasks should usually roll up to a Story or Epic. Standalone tasks are fine occasionally, but too many suggest poor planning.
Getting Started with Task Types in BriteWiki
- ✓Select task type when creating: Every new task lets you choose Epic, Story, Task, or Issue
- ✓Filter by type: Quickly view all Epics to see high-level progress, or all Issues to prioritize firefighting
- ✓Visual hierarchy: See how Tasks roll up to Stories and Epics in your board views
- ✓Change types easily: Made a mistake? Change the task type anytime—no data is lost
Conclusion
Understanding task types—Epic, Story, Task, and Issue—transforms how you organize and execute work. They provide a common language for your team, making projects more transparent, predictable, and manageable.
Remember: the goal isn't bureaucracy. It's clarity. Use these types to make your work visible, break down complexity, and ship value consistently.