Easy Tech TutsHow To Master Subitems in Monday.com Easily 2026
By Impran M NLast checked against official docs
A task like "Updata APK V2" is rarely one piece of work. It's a handful of smaller jobs, each needing its own owner and status, and adding them as extra rows turns the board into a wall of near-duplicates.
Subitems nest those jobs under the task instead. This guide follows a monday dev sprint board through adding a subitem, setting its columns, assigning it, and marking it Done. Then it covers the parts people get wrong: subitem columns are shared by the whole board, a parent's status doesn't follow its subitems unless you set that up, and subitems of subitems need a new multi-level board.
01Expand a task and add a subitem
Click the small arrow to the left of the task name. Here that's "Updata APK V2" in Sprint 1.
A nested table opens under the row with a + Add subitem line at the bottom. Click it, type a name and press Enter.
The parent row now shows a small number beside its name. That's the subitem count, and clicking it also opens or closes the subitems.
02Set up the subitem columns
Subitems have their own header row, separate from the parent board. In this example it holds Subitem, Owner, monday Doc, Status and Date, while the parent tracks Type, Task ID, Estimated SP and Timeline.
That structure is shared by every subitem on the board, not set per task. Add a Files column to one task's subitems and every task's subitems get it.
Use the + at the end of the subitem header to add a column, or choose Copy parent columns to reuse column types from the parent board. Copying creates the column only: values don't stay in sync between parent and subitem afterwards.
03Assign an owner and set the status
Click the Owner cell to assign someone. Hovering their avatar afterwards shows a contact card, a quick way to confirm you picked the right person.
Then set Status. In the recording the subitem is marked Done while "Updata APK V2" still reads Ready to start. On a standard board the two Status columns are independent, so finishing every subitem doesn't finish the task.
04Show subitem progress on the parent row
To see subitem data without expanding every task, open the settings of a subitem column and select Show Summary on Parent Item. monday supports this for columns including Status, Date, Numbers, Tags and Time Tracking, so the parent row can show, for instance, a status breakdown or total hours. If you want the parent to follow its children automatically, that's what multi-level boards do.
Their rollup columns (Status, Priority, Date, Number and Timeline) pull values up from the lowest-level subitems. The rolled-up value on a parent can't be edited by hand, and when all of a subitem's children are Done the parent is marked Done. Multi-level is only available on newly created boards: click the blue + in the left pane, hover Board, click the arrow and choose New multi-level board.
05Create subitems automatically
If every task needs the same breakdown, don't add subitems by hand. Open Automate at the top of the board and build a recipe such as "When status changes to something, then create a subitem".
You can chain several create-a-subitem actions, and map fields from the parent so each new subitem starts pre-filled. That mapping is a one-time copy made when the subitem is created. monday's documentation says ongoing parent-to-subitem sync isn't supported in its automation builder and points to the Subitems - All automations app in the monday.com Marketplace for that.
06Keep the board readable
Collapse subitems you aren't reviewing. The count beside the task name still tells you they exist.
To fold or open every task at once, click the three-dot menu beside any item and choose Collapse all items or Expand all items. For a cross-task view, such as every subitem assigned to one person, use the board search bar, the Person filter or the advanced filter. Subitems don't appear in the quick suggested filter.
| Compared on | Standard board | Multi-level board |
|---|---|---|
| Levels under a top-level item | One | Up to four |
| Where it's available | Any board | Newly created boards only; no in-place conversion |
| Parent reflects subitems | Opt-in, per column, via Show Summary on Parent Item | Automatically, through rollup columns |
| Parent status when all children are Done | Unchanged unless you set something up | Marked Done automatically |
| Size limits | Not stated in the subitems article | 750 subitems per top-level item; 5,000 items per board including subitems |
From monday.com's support articles on subitems and multi-level subitems, checked September 2026.
When it doesn't work
A column added under one task appeared under every task
Why: Subitem columns are board-wide. All subitems on a board share one column structure.
Fix: Keep the column and leave it blank where it doesn't apply, or hide it from the board view.
Copied parent columns don't update when the parent changes
Why: Copy parent columns only creates matching column types. It doesn't sync values.
Fix: To display parent values inside subitems, set up a same-board connection and mirror the parent fields into the subitem.
There's no way to add a subitem under a subitem
Why: Nested levels only exist on multi-level boards, and those have to be created new.
Fix: Create a New multi-level board, then batch-select your items and use Move to board, mapping both item and subitem columns so nothing is dropped.
Frequently asked questions
Can each task have different subitem columns?
No. Subitems have their own column structure separate from the parent items, but every subitem on the board shares it.
Does the parent task complete when all its subitems are Done?
On a standard board, no; the Status columns are independent. On a multi-level board with a rollup Status column, the parent is marked Done automatically once all its children are Done.
Can I turn a subitem into a regular item, or the other way round?
Yes. Select it and click Convert in the bottom bar, then map its column values. Data in any column type the other level doesn't have is deleted during the conversion.
Can I move a subitem to a different task?
Yes. Select the subitem, click Move to in the bottom bar, and choose the new parent item on the same board.
Sources and last check
The board, subitem table, owner card and status changes come from the original screen recording on a monday dev board. Column behaviour, Show Summary on Parent Item, automations, filtering and the multi-level board rules were re-checked against monday.com's support articles in September 2026. That check corrected the claim that each task's subitems get independent columns (the structure is board-wide) and replaced an automation recipe that monday's documentation doesn't describe with the rollup behaviour it does.
About the author
Impran M N
I've been hooked on technology for as long as I can remember — especially the new tools and AI apps that seem to land every other week. Easy Tech Tuts is where I write up whatever I've just worked out: I do the task in the real product, record the screen, and turn it into the guide I wish I'd found first.
