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The User Tasks WebPart provided by SharePoint (2013) does not really work, or at least I did something wrong. I simply added the WP from Web Part -> Social Collaboration -> User Tasks, no configuration needed. In theory it should display all the tasks of the current user. Neither does it display the Tasks under my Sites, nor does it display anything from Task Lists in the same Web.

I also tried it on another Computer with SP 2013 and it is the same. No Tasks whatsoever. Is there a hidden magic setting in SharePoint to get this to work?

I am also aware that the User Tasks WP does not show Project Tasks etc., thats ok, but at least it should display anything apart from "There are no items to show in this view."

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  • Not sure, but I think it will only work on a My Site
    – Robert Lindgren
    Nov 11, 2013 at 13:55
  • what is your authentication for the web app?
    – Mike
    Nov 11, 2013 at 14:18
  • @RobertLindgren Well what is this User Task Webpart good for if I cannot use it on a normal Page?
    – Kirschi
    Nov 12, 2013 at 7:44
  • @Mike It uses Claims based Auth. As is default in 2013
    – Kirschi
    Nov 12, 2013 at 7:45
  • I'm having the same issue. From what I understand this webopart should work OOTB. I can't get it to display any tasks under any circumstances. I don't suppose you've had any success with this?
    – Dave
    Dec 17, 2013 at 17:40

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In SharePoint 2013, there are two task list templates and, consequently, two types of task lists:

  • SPListTemplateType.Task (Id==107) – this one is from SharePoint 2010
  • SPListTemplateType.TasksWithTimelineAndHierarchy (Id== 175) – this one is introduced in SharePoint 2013.

The second list is quite different, both visually and internally, for example it has the ParentID column which allows creating a task hierarchy.

In SharePoint 2013, when adding a task list, you add a list with the TasksWithTimelineAndHierarchy template.

I haven’t seen it documented anywhere but the User Tasks web part retrieves tasks only from the first list type. More technically, it seems to use SPSiteDataQuery with

<Lists ServerTemplate="107" />

Therefore, it will never show a task from a task list added in SP 2013 using a browser.

If you have to use this web part, you can add a task list with the old template programmatically, e.g. with PowerShell:

$web = Get-SPWeb -Identity http://localhost/yourWebUrl
$web.Lists.Add("Tasks2010","Task list with SharePoint 2010 template",[Microsoft.SharePoint.SPListTemplateType]::Tasks)

Tasks added to this list (assigned to the current user and incomplete) will be visible in a User Tasks web part.

To sum up: The web part was fully functional in SP2010 where SPListTemplateType.Task was used for task lists. In SharePoint 2013 it is available for compatibility reasons, for webs upgraded from SP2010.

Shame it isn’t stated clearly anywhere, people keep wasting time.

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