Some tasks can't start until others finish. Examply's dependencies model this directly, so a task shows as blocked until its dependency is complete, and nobody wastes time picking up work that isn't ready yet.
This article covers how to add dependencies, what "blocked" means in practice, and how to spot bottlenecks before they slow down a project.
Add a dependency
Open the task that should wait, for example "Write launch announcement".
Scroll to the Dependencies section and click Add dependency.
Choose Blocked by and search for the task it depends on, such as "Finalize pricing page copy".
You can also flip the relationship: from the upstream task, choose Blocks and pick the downstream task. Both views point at the same link, so it only needs to be set once.
What "blocked" looks like
A task with an incomplete dependency shows a blocked badge on its card in Board view and a lock icon in List view. The assignee can still open and comment on a blocked task, but Examply flags it as not ready to start.
Note: Blocking doesn't stop someone from marking a task done early. Dependencies are informational — they warn you, they don't enforce order.
Chains of dependencies
Tasks can depend on tasks that themselves depend on other tasks. Examply resolves the whole chain: if "Design homepage" blocks "Build homepage", which blocks "QA homepage", then "QA homepage" stays marked blocked until "Design homepage" is done, even though it isn't directly linked to it.
Timeline view draws an arrow between dependent tasks, which makes long chains easier to read than scanning badges in List view.
Finding blocked tasks
Open any project's List view.
Click Filter and choose Status: Blocked.
Review the list — for each task, open the dependency to see who owns the blocking work.
Reviewing this filter at the start of a standup is a quick way to catch bottlenecks before they show up as a missed deadline.
Dependencies across projects
A dependency doesn't have to stay inside one project. A task in "Website relaunch" can be blocked by a task in "Brand assets", for example if the homepage rebuild is waiting on a new logo file. Examply still shows the badge and the link, and the assignee on the blocking task doesn't need access to the downstream project to see that something depends on their work.
Tips
Remove a dependency from the same Dependencies section where you added it — deleting the link doesn't delete either task.
A task can have more than one dependency; it stays blocked until all of them are complete.
If a project consistently has a long tail of blocked tasks, it's often a sign that work was scheduled before its dependencies were, rather than a dependency problem on its own.