Node

A node is a single unit of work in a Tree project. Tasks, milestones, decisions, and other discrete pieces of work are all represented as nodes on the project graph.

A node is a single unit of work in a Tree project. Tasks, milestones, decisions, and other discrete pieces of work are all represented as nodes on the project graph.

States

Every node has four possible states: locked, available, in-progress, or complete. The state is computed from the graph rather than set manually.

  • A node is locked when at least one of its prerequisites is incomplete.
  • It becomes available when all prerequisites resolve.
  • It enters in-progress when someone claims it.
  • It becomes complete when the work is done.

Relationships

Nodes can have prerequisites (work that must complete before this node can start) and dependents (work that's waiting on this node to complete). Both relationships are first-class edges in the graph, not metadata on the node itself.

Granularity

A node usually represents one piece of buildable work, scoped specifically enough to have a clear "done" condition. Vague nodes ("improve onboarding") don't work well because there's no mechanical way to know when they're complete. Specific nodes ("redesign welcome screen with three steps") work better because the completion criterion is unambiguous.

Role in the UI

Nodes are the primary visible object in Tree's UI. The graph is mostly nodes connected by edges, with the node's color and state communicating its position in the project's progression.

LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-11