A few things about tasks, projects, organizations and smart folders you should know.

Last updated: May 29, 2026

TL;DR: Four building blocks make up Quire's hierarchy. A task is an actionable item that nests into subtasks, a project is a goal made of tasks, an organization holds projects, and a Smart Folder gathers projects from different organizations into one filtered view. They're far more flexible than their names suggest.

Tasks, projects, organizations, and smart folders make up the structure of Quire. Learn the four and the whole tool clicks into place, because everything you do lives at one of these levels.

There's a reason Quire layers things this way instead of dumping everything into one big list. According to John Sweller's cognitive load theory, breaking information into organized groups reduces the mental effort of working with it, because your brain handles a few labeled buckets far better than a hundred loose items. So here's each bucket, smallest to largest.

What is a task in Quire?

Note: Tasks in the middle main panel of your Quire workspace.

A task is an actionable item to be done. It can break down into subtasks, sub-subtasks, and so on, as deep as the work actually goes.

But a task doesn't have to be a chore. It can also be an idea, a note, or a section you jot down first and divide into smaller items later. The task is the atom everything else is built from.

What is a project in Quire?

Note: Project in the middle main panel of your Quire workspace.

Note: Projects in the left sidebar of your Quire workspace.

A project is made up of tasks. It's a goal or a challenge you and your colleagues, family, or friends want to accomplish together.

It can be a marketing campaign your team wants to run, a cool app you and your designer want to build, a trip to Europe you and your friends are planning. If it has tasks, it's a project.

What is an organization in Quire?

Note: Organizations in the left sidebar of your Quire workspace.

An organization consists of projects. It's usually a company, a department, or a team that works on the projects inside it.

But it doesn't have to be a workplace. An organization can be any grouping of projects, or simply a part of your life called Work, Home, or Volunteer. Say you have an organization called Family; you'd add the projects you and your family want to achieve together inside it.

What is a Smart Folder in Quire?

Note: Smart Folder in the middle main panel of your Quire workspace.

Note: Smart Folders in the left sidebar of your Quire workspace.

A Smart Folder is a virtual folder of projects from different organizations. This is the one that surprises people.

With the full power of a project view, it gives you a bird's-eye look at everything happening in the projects you care about, then lets you filter down to just a few tasks. You can keep different Smart Folders, say Development and Marketing, to follow different groups of people and work side by side, even when those projects live in separate organizations.

How do tasks, projects, organizations, and Smart Folders fit together?

Here's the whole hierarchy on one screen, smallest to largest.

The thing to remember is that these are a lot more flexible than their names suggest. An organization can be your family, a project can be a vacation, and a Smart Folder can be your personal command center across all of it.

Ready to organize your work in Quire?

Start small: create one project, add a few tasks, and nest a couple of subtasks. Once that feels natural, group related projects under an organization, then build a Smart Folder to see across them. Add them on your own terms and the structure will start matching how you actually think about your work.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a task in Quire?

An actionable item to be done. It nests into subtasks and sub-subtasks, and can also hold ideas, notes, or sections.

What is a project?

A goal made up of tasks, like a campaign, an app, or a trip. You switch between projects in the sidebar.

What is an organization?

A group of projects, usually a company or team, but it can be any grouping like Work, Home, or Family.

What is a Smart Folder?

A virtual folder of projects from different organizations, giving you one filtered, bird's-eye view across them.

How do they fit together?

Tasks sit in projects, projects sit in organizations, and Smart Folders span organizations to gather related projects into one view.