# Why was a task not created?

> A sequence reached a call, LinkedIn or manual email step but no task appeared: which steps create tasks, who they are assigned to, and why a contact waits.

**Only manual steps create tasks: call, LinkedIn, manual email, SMS, WhatsApp and to-do. Automatic steps never do. If a manual step produced no task, the contact has usually not reached it yet, or it is assigned to a different person than the one looking.**

_Status: Reviewed – written against Reply's product documentation on 2026-09-21, not yet confirmed against the running product._

## Quick fix

1. Check the step type. Automatic steps (ordinary email, automated LinkedIn actions, automated SMS) never create tasks.
2. Open the contact and check its **current step**. A contact still on an earlier step, or waiting out a step delay, has not reached yours.
3. In **Tasks**, clear the owner filter. Tasks belong to the sequence's owner, who may not be you.
4. Check the contact's status – only Active contacts generate tasks.
5. Confirm the task appears, or that the contact is genuinely still earlier in the sequence.

Didn't work? [Contact Reply support](https://support.reply.io/); the team can check your account directly.

## Symptom

A sequence contains a call, LinkedIn or manual email step. Contacts are moving, but nothing shows up in Tasks, or a colleague sees tasks and you do not.

## Which steps create tasks

| Step | Creates a task? |
| --- | --- |
| Call · LinkedIn (manual) · Manual email · SMS (manual) · WhatsApp · To-do | **Yes** – a person has to do it |
| Email · automated LinkedIn actions · automated SMS · Zapier | **No** – Reply performs them |
| Condition · Move to sequence · Merge | **No** – they route contacts, they are not work |

If your step is in the second or third group, no task was ever going to appear. That is the intended behaviour, not a fault.

## Most likely causes

| Cause | How to recognize it |
| --- | --- |
| The step is automatic | See the table above |
| The contact has not reached the step | The contact's current step in the People tab is earlier than the one you expect |
| The contact is waiting out a step delay | Current step is correct, but the next action is dated in the future |
| You are filtering by the wrong owner | A colleague can see the task and you cannot |
| The contact is not Active | Finished, Paused, Opted Out and Missing data contacts do not generate tasks |
| The sequence itself is not running | No step advances at all – see [Why is a campaign not running?](/troubleshooting/campaign-is-not-running/) |
| The task was completed elsewhere | A task completed in a connected CRM may not advance the Reply contact unless task handling is set to advance automatically |

## Diagnostic checklist

1. **Identify the step type first.** It resolves most of these cases in one look, and it costs nothing to check.
2. **Open the contact, not the task list.** Its current step and next action date tell you whether a task was even due.
3. **Clear every filter in Tasks**, especially the owner filter. Tasks follow the sequence's owner.
4. **Check the contact's status.** Only Active contacts produce tasks.
5. **If your team completes work in a CRM**, check how task handling is configured; completing a task there does not necessarily advance the contact in Reply.

## Resolution

### The step is automatic

Nothing to fix. If you want a person to do it, change the step to its manual equivalent: a manual email step instead of an email step, a manual LinkedIn step instead of an automated LinkedIn action.

### The contact has not reached the step

Wait, or move the contact forward deliberately: select it in the sequence's **People** tab, choose **Move to sequence**, and pick the step you want it on.

### The task belongs to someone else

Clear the owner filter in Tasks. If the wrong person owns the work, change the sequence's owner, or reassign the contacts to the person who should be doing it.

### The contact is not Active

Set it back to **Active** from the People tab if you intend it to continue. A Finished contact produces no further tasks.

### Work is completed in a CRM instead

Either complete tasks in Reply, or configure task handling so Reply advances the contact itself. Otherwise the contact waits for a completion that never reaches it.

## Verification

Open the contact and confirm its current step is the one you expected and the task now appears in Tasks with no filters applied. If you moved the contact manually, check that the step's action is scheduled rather than immediately due.

## Prevention

- Decide manual versus automatic when you build the sequence. It is the whole difference between work appearing and not.
- Keep sequence ownership aligned with whoever does the work.
- If you use a CRM for task completion, set task handling once and test it with a single contact before relying on it.

## FAQ

### Do automatic steps ever create tasks?

No. Reply performs them, so there is nothing for a person to do.

### Why can my colleague see a task and I cannot?

Tasks follow the sequence's owner. Clear the owner filter in Tasks to see everything you have access to.

### I completed the task in my CRM and the contact did not move

Completing work in a connected CRM does not necessarily advance the contact in Reply. Either complete it in Reply, or set task handling to advance contacts automatically.

## Still stuck? Contact Reply support

If these steps didn't solve the problem, the Reply support team can look at your
account directly. Open the [Reply Help Center](https://support.reply.io/) and send
the team a message.

To get an answer faster, include:

- the step type, and which sequence and step number
- the contact's current step and status
- who owns the sequence, and who is looking for the task
- your timezone

Don't send passwords, API keys, or access tokens.

## Related

- [Why is a campaign not running?](/troubleshooting/campaign-is-not-running/) – when no step advances at all
- [Why was a contact not enrolled?](/troubleshooting/contact-was-not-enrolled/)
- [Statuses](/reference/statuses/)

## Build with Reply

- REST API: [Tasks](https://docs.reply.io/api-reference/introduction) – list and complete tasks programmatically
- MCP: [docs.reply.io/mcp](https://docs.reply.io/mcp/overview) – review outstanding tasks from an assistant