Asana How to Create a Team: Step-by-Step Guide

To create a team in Asana, go to your profile photo in the top right, select “Settings,” then click “Teams” in the left sidebar, and finally click “Create Team” to name it and add members. This guide walks you through the exact steps, explains team settings, and covers common issues you might encounter.

Why Use Teams in Asana?

Teams in Asana are the primary way to organize projects and people. Each team has its own set of projects, members, and permissions. Teams help you group related work—for example, a “Marketing” team might contain projects for content, social media, and email campaigns. This structure makes it easier to manage access: when you add someone to a team, they automatically get access to all projects within that team (unless the project is set to private). Teams also provide a shared hub where members can see all active projects, recent tasks, and team conversations.

How to Create a Team (Step-by-Step)

1. Log in to Asana and click your profile photo in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings from the dropdown menu.
3. In the left sidebar, click Teams (under the “Organization” section).
4. Click the Create Team button (usually blue, in the top-right).
5. Enter a Team Name (e.g., “Product Development”) and optionally add a description.
6. Click Create Team to confirm.
7. You’ll be taken to the new team’s page. Click Add Members to invite people by email or select from your organization.
8. Set the team’s privacy: Public (anyone in the org can join) or Private (only invited members can see it).

Once created, you can start adding projects to the team by clicking “Create Project” on the team’s page.

Team Privacy Settings Explained

Asana offers two privacy levels for teams:

• Public team: Anyone in your organization can view the team, see its projects, and join (if joining is allowed by your admin). This is best for cross-functional groups like “Company-wide” or “Events.”
• Private team: Only members can see the team and its projects. You must add people manually. Ideal for sensitive work like HR or finance.

Note: If your organization uses Asana’s “Business” or “Enterprise” tiers, admins can enforce certain team creation rules, so you might not see the “Create Team” button if that’s disabled.

Adding Members and Managing Roles

After creating a team, you can add members in two ways:

• Click Add Members on the team page and type email addresses (separated by commas) or select from the org directory.
• When creating a project within the team, you can add members to that project—they’ll be added to the team automatically if they aren’t already.

Each member can have one of three roles in a team:

• Admin: Can manage team settings, add/remove members, and delete the team.
• Member: Can create projects and tasks, and see all team content.
• Guest: Has limited access—can only see projects they’re explicitly added to, and cannot see the full team roster.

To change a role, go to the team’s “Members” tab, click the dropdown next to a person’s name, and select a new role.

Common Problems and Fixes

Here are frequent issues users face when creating teams:

• No “Create Team” button: Your organization’s admin may have restricted team creation to admins only. Contact your admin to create the team for you or adjust permissions.
• Can’t add a member: If the person is outside your organization, they must be added as a guest. You’ll need their email address, and they’ll receive an invite link.
• Team shows as “No projects”: That’s normal for a new team. Create a project to get started.
• Privacy settings can’t be changed: Once a team is created, you can change its privacy from the team’s “Settings” tab, but only if you’re a team admin. If you’re not, ask an admin.

Best Practices for Team Organization

To get the most out of teams:

• Create teams based on departments (Marketing, Sales, Engineering) or initiatives (e.g., “2025 Product Launch”). Avoid creating too many tiny teams—this fragments work.
• Use team descriptions to clarify the team’s purpose. This helps new members understand what belongs where.
• Set default project privacy to match your team’s needs. For a public team, you might want projects to be public by default; for private teams, keep them private.
• Use team-level permissions to control who can create projects. In Asana Premium and above, you can set “Who can create projects in this team?” to “Only admins” if you want to avoid clutter.

Teams vs. Projects vs. Portfolios

It’s easy to confuse these three levels:

• Team: A container for projects and people. It’s your organizational unit.
• Project: A specific piece of work within a team (e.g., “Website Redesign”). Projects belong to exactly one team.
• Portfolio: A high-level view that groups projects across multiple teams, often used by executives to track progress.

For example, a “Product” team might have projects like “Mobile App v2” and “User Research.” A portfolio called “Q3 Goals” could include projects from both the Product and Marketing teams.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I create a team without being an admin?

Yes, in most Asana plans, any member can create a team unless your organization’s admin has restricted that ability. If you don’t see the “Create Team” button, check with your admin.

How do I delete a team?

Go to the team’s Settings (gear icon) and select “Delete team.” You must be a team admin. Deleting a team removes all its projects and tasks permanently—there’s no undo, so be sure.

Can a project belong to multiple teams?

No, a project can only belong to one team. However, you can share a project with people from other teams by adding them as members to that specific project.

What’s the difference between a team and a project?

A team is a group of people and projects; a project is a specific set of tasks. Teams are like folders, and projects are like files inside them.

Can I move a project from one team to another?

Yes. Open the project, click the team name in the project header, select “Move project,” and choose the new team. You’ll need admin rights on the project.

Why can’t I see a team that someone else created?

If the team is private, you won’t see it until you’re added as a member. If it’s public, you should see it in your Teams list—if not, refresh the page or check your filters.

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