An Asana content calendar template is a reusable project layout for planning content by date, channel, status, and owner. You can build one in an Asana project using tasks for individual posts and a calendar view to see when they are scheduled; the blank template below gives you a practical starting point.
What an Asana Content Calendar Does
Asana is work-management software, so a content calendar in Asana is a way to organize and track work rather than a finished editorial document or a publishing tool. Each planned piece of content can be represented by a task. The task can hold its working title, due date, assignee, description, and links or files that the team needs. The project calendar then presents dated tasks in a calendar layout.
This setup is useful when a team needs to see both the publication plan and the work behind it. A calendar can answer “What is going out next week?” while task details help answer “Who is drafting it, what needs approval, and where is the image?” Sections, tags, or custom fields can further distinguish content types and workflow stages, depending on the project setup and the features available to the account.
A calendar is only as dependable as the information entered in its tasks. If a post has no date, owner, or clear next step, it may be difficult to plan around even if the project looks organized. Treat the calendar as a shared working plan that the team updates, not as a static schedule that stays accurate automatically.
How to Set Up the Project
Start with one project for the publication plan, then decide whether each task should represent a finished post or a production step. For most small teams, one task per piece of content is easier to scan. Put drafting, editing, and review in the task description or subtasks if those steps do not need separate calendar dates. Create separate tasks for stages only when the team needs to assign, schedule, or report on those stages independently.
- Create a project. Give it a name that makes the scope clear, such as “May Editorial Calendar” or “Product Education Content.” Choose a project layout that suits how the team likes to plan.
- Add one task per planned item. Use a short, recognizable task name, such as “Five ways to prepare for a garden weekend.” Keep the fuller brief in the task description.
- Set the key dates. Use the task due date for the date the team intends to publish, if that is the date your calendar should show. Record internal draft or approval deadlines separately when they matter.
- Assign ownership and workflow. Give each task a responsible owner and use sections, tags, or suitable fields to show its channel and status.
- Open the calendar view and review the schedule. Look for empty periods, crowded days, and dates that conflict with launches or other commitments. Adjust the plan with the people who own the work.
Before inviting a wider group, add a few realistic tasks and check that the chosen fields make sense in the calendar and task view. A short trial layout can reveal whether the team needs a separate channel field, a review deadline, or a simpler status list.
Blank Asana Content Calendar Template
Use this generic table as a planning sheet or as a guide when creating tasks in an Asana project. Add a row for each piece of content, and adapt the columns to match the team’s workflow. In Asana, the task name, date, assignee, and description are task details; other columns can be represented with project fields, sections, or notes where available.
| Publish date | Working title | Channel | Format | Audience or goal | Owner | Status | Draft or asset link | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sample — fictional details: Publish date: June 12 | Working title: “Three easy ways to reuse kitchen scraps” | Channel: Blog | Format: How-to article | Audience or goal: Home cooks; offer practical ideas | Owner: Riley Chen | Status: Drafting | Draft or asset link: Add the working document link | Notes: Request an original photo before review.
Which Fields Should the Calendar Include?
Keep the calendar compact enough to scan. A useful starting set is publish date, title, channel, owner, and status. Add a field only if it helps someone make a decision or complete work. A long list of fields can make entry slower and obscure the most important information.
- Publish date: The date the team is aiming to release the content. If the team also needs a draft deadline, label that separately so it is not mistaken for the release date.
- Channel and format: For example, blog, email, or social post; and article, announcement, or short video. These labels help people filter or balance the plan.
- Status: Use a small, agreed set such as Idea, Drafting, In review, Approved, and Scheduled. Clarify what each status means so “Approved” does not mean different things to different people.
- Owner and reviewer: Name the person responsible for moving the task forward and, when needed, the person expected to review it. Avoid assigning a group without identifying who is accountable.
- Brief and assets: Put the audience, purpose, key message, and useful links in the task details. This gives the owner enough context to begin without crowding the calendar itself.
Not every team needs a separate campaign, priority, or audience field. If a detail is only relevant to one post, a note in that task may be clearer than adding a permanent field for everyone.
A Practical Content Workflow
A calendar works best when it reflects the full route from idea to publication. Teams can use a simple status sequence and move a task forward as work is completed. The exact stages depend on how much review a piece needs, but the process should be clear enough that a teammate can tell what happens next.
For example, a small team might begin with an idea, assign an owner, draft the content, request review, make revisions, approve the final version, and then mark it scheduled or published. The task description can include a brief and checklist, while comments can hold decisions or questions tied to that item. Store the current working link in one predictable place so reviewers are not guessing which file is final.
Set dates for the work that needs coordination, not just for publication. If a post is due to publish on Friday but must be reviewed by Wednesday, a Wednesday review deadline can help prevent a last-minute rush. If separate work dates clutter the calendar, keep the publication date on the main task and track intermediate deadlines within the task or subtasks.
Choose a View That Fits the Work
The calendar view is valuable for date-based planning, but it is not the best view for every question. A list view can make it easier to inspect task details and sort or group work. A board view can make workflow stages more visible, especially when the team moves tasks through a sequence such as Drafting and In review. Asana’s available project views and features can vary by plan and product changes, so check the options in your account.
Use the calendar for questions about timing: whether two major releases land on the same day, whether a week is overloaded, or whether a planned gap needs attention. Use a workflow-oriented view for questions about progress: which drafts are waiting for review, who has several open tasks, or what is blocked. These views can represent the same project tasks in different ways; they do not need to become separate calendars that drift apart.
For a team managing several channels, consider whether one shared project with a channel field is clearer than separate projects. A shared project makes cross-channel timing easier to compare. Separate projects may be more manageable when teams, permissions, or workflows genuinely differ. Choose based on how people will maintain the plan, rather than creating a complex structure just because the content has several formats.
Common Problems and How to Prevent Them
Dates are missing or ambiguous. A task without a date may not appear where expected in a calendar, while an internal deadline can be mistaken for the publication date. Label dates clearly and agree which date the calendar represents.
Statuses mean different things. One person may mark a draft “Done” when writing is finished, while another may interpret it as published. Define the status names and reserve a final state for the outcome the team actually wants to track.
The calendar is full of ideas that are not commitments. Early concepts can be useful, but presenting them as scheduled work can make the plan look more certain than it is. Mark tentative items clearly or keep them in an idea section until the team agrees to a date and owner.
Tasks lack enough context. A title alone may not tell the writer who the content is for or what it should accomplish. Add a brief with the intended audience, purpose, key points, and any constraints or source material. Do not use a status field as a substitute for a useful brief.
People stop updating the project. If updating a task requires too much effort, the calendar becomes stale. Reduce unnecessary fields, assign a clear owner, and make status updates part of the regular editorial check-in. A short review of the next few weeks can catch overdue approvals and unrealistic dates before they affect publication.
Too much detail is placed in the calendar. A calendar should help people see timing at a glance, not contain every paragraph of a draft. Keep detailed copy in its working document and use the task to connect the plan to the brief, asset, and discussion.
Using Templates, Access, and Integrations
You can use the blank layout above to build tasks manually or adapt it to a project template available in your Asana account. A saved project template can help a team repeat a familiar structure, but it is still worth checking dates, owners, and fields when starting a new planning period. Old dates or outdated workflow steps should not be carried forward without review.
Decide who can edit the calendar and who only needs to follow it. Editors may need to create tasks, change dates, or update statuses; other collaborators may only need visibility or a way to comment. Check project access settings and account permissions before relying on a particular sharing arrangement. Where a publishing, document, or storage integration is used, confirm what it actually synchronizes; a link or connection does not necessarily mean that content is automatically approved or published.
Asana is intended for coordinating work, and a calendar project should not be assumed to publish posts by itself. Teams typically use it to plan and track the work, then handle final scheduling or release in the relevant publishing process. Confirm the capabilities and integrations available to your account before designing a workflow around automation.
When Another Calendar Format May Be Better
An Asana project is a good fit when the people planning content also need assignments, discussion, deadlines, and progress tracking in one place. It may be more than a team needs if the only requirement is a simple list of dates and titles. A spreadsheet or printable table can be easier for a one-person plan, an occasional campaign, or collaborators who do not need task management.
A dedicated editorial or publishing system may suit a team whose core needs include specialized publishing steps or channel-specific scheduling. That choice depends on the team’s workflow and the tools already available. Before moving the plan, identify the problem to solve: visibility, accountability, approvals, or publication. If the problem is simply that nobody maintains the calendar, adding another tool may not fix it; a named owner and a lightweight review routine may matter more.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Asana have a content calendar template?
Asana supports project-based planning, and accounts may offer project templates or calendar views depending on current features and plan. You can also create a project from the blank structure in this guide, then save or reuse a suitable setup if that option is available to you.
How do I make a content calendar in Asana?
Create a project, add one task for each content item, set its intended publish date, assign an owner, and record the channel and status. Then use the calendar view to review timing and keep task details updated as the work progresses.
Can Asana publish posts automatically?
A content calendar project is for planning and tracking work; do not assume it will publish content automatically. Publication may require a separate workflow or an integration, and the exact options depend on the tools and account features available to your team.
What should an Asana content calendar include?
Begin with a publish date, working title, channel, owner, and status. Add a concise brief and relevant asset links. Include review deadlines or other fields only when they help the team coordinate the work.
Should I use one project for every channel?
Not necessarily. One shared project makes it easier to compare dates across channels, while separate projects can work when ownership, access, or production steps differ substantially. Prefer the arrangement the team can keep accurate with the least duplication.
Make the Calendar Maintainable
The strongest Asana content calendar is not the one with the most fields; it is the one people can understand and update. Start with the blank template, agree on what its dates and statuses mean, and test the workflow on a small set of planned posts. Review upcoming work regularly, adjust the structure when a genuine coordination need appears, and keep detailed content in the task or its linked working document. That gives the team a clear view of what is planned without confusing a planning calendar with the finished content or the act of publishing it.