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Create a Planner for Your Team - A Quick Tip for Smarter Task Management

  • echotransformation
  • Jul 25, 2025
  • 3 min read

If your team already works in Microsoft Teams, there’s no need to spin up a new Planner from scratch or accidentally create yet another SharePoint site you have to manage.


You can add a Planner directly into an existing Team and start assigning tasks immediately without creating more work for your IT or more confusion for your users.


This guide explains how Microsoft Planner now works behind the scenes, when to use it inside Teams, and what to watch out for as your team starts collaborating with it.


Planner and Project for the Web: What Changed


Microsoft Planner and Project for the Web now run on the same underlying platform. That means what used to be separate tools with separate capabilities are becoming more integrated especially when accessed through Microsoft Teams.


If you create a new plan from the Planner app, you’re actually creating a new Microsoft 365 Group and an associated SharePoint site even if you didn’t mean to.


But if you add a plan inside an existing Team, no extra SharePoint site or group is created. You’re working within the same access structure, keeping permissions clean and task tracking simple.

Why Create Your Plan Inside a Team?


Here’s why it’s often better to add a Planner board to an existing Team, rather than create a new one:


  • No new SharePoint site: Avoids content sprawl and redundant sites your team won’t use.

  • Simplified access management: Reuses the Team’s existing permissions.

  • Centralized collaboration: Keeps chats, files, and tasks all in one workspace.

  • Quick launch: You can assign tasks in minutes without leaving Teams. This is especially helpful for project managers, team leads, and business users who need a visual task board without the overhead of full Project Online or complex PM tools.



Step-by-Step: Add a Planner Board to Your Existing Team


If your Team is already up and running, follow these steps to add a Planner tab:


Step 1 - Go to the Right Channel


  • Open Microsoft Teams and go to the channel where you want to manage tasks.


Step 2 - Add a New Tab


  • Click the + icon at the top of the channel.

  • Select Planner (or To Do, depending on your setup).

Open the channel, then click on the + icon at the top of the channel
Open the channel, then click on the + icon at the top of the channel
Select Planner app
Select Planner app

Step 3 - Create a New Plan


  • Choose Create a new plan and give it a name this will be the name of the tab.

  • Select a planner template or create a basic one.

  • Validate a tab was added.


*If you already created a plan previously , you can click on Add an existing plan.

Click on Create a new plan
Click on Create a new plan
Type a name for the plan
Type a name for the plan
Validate the planner tab was added
Validate the planner tab was added

Step 4 - Start Assigning Tasks


  • Begin adding tasks, assigning owners, and setting due dates. Your team can now see and update tasks right from within Teams.



Pro Tip: Want to Use Project for the Web Features?


Because Planner and Project now use the same backend, it’s possible to upgrade to richer project management features later without migrating everything.


Just make sure you’re using the same Microsoft Group (i.e., the Team) when you do.



Be Careful: Avoid Creating Redundant Plans


One of the most common mistakes is creating a plan from Planner web without connecting in to a team and just adding a new one.


Add to a group to connect your team
Add to a group to connect your team

Instead, it will create a new M365 Group and with it, a new SharePoint site and mailbox your team never asked for.


Always start from Teams if you’re trying to add tasks to a Team.




Planner Is Lightweight and That’s a Good Thing


Planner is great for simple projects, marketing initiatives, event planning, internal operations, and more. It’s visual, accessible, and works for everyone not just PMs.


Just remember:

  • It’s not meant for dependencies or advanced scheduling

  • It’s not ideal for cross-project reporting

  • It’s best when used inside existing Teams


If you need more structure later, you can always scale up.



About Echo Transformation


At Echo Transformation, we help teams make better use of the Microsoft 365 tools they already have without adding unnecessary complexity.


We work with you to:

  • Design task management strategies that fit real-world work

  • Help teams adopt Planner and Project for the Web confidently

  • Avoid governance pitfalls that come with tool sprawl


Visit echotransformation.ca | Book a call with us today

 
 
 

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