CrewAI Task Design Guide

How to write effective tasks that produce reliable, high-quality output from your agents.

The 80/20 Rule

Spend 80% of your effort on task design, 20% on agent design. The task is the most important lever you have. A well-designed task with a mediocre agent will outperform a poorly designed task with an excellent agent.

1. Anatomy of an Effective Task

Every task needs two things: a description (what to do and how) and an expected_output (what the result looks like).

Description — The Instructions

A good description includes:

What to do — the core action
How to do it — specific steps or approach
Context — why this matters, what it feeds into
Constraints — scope limits, things to avoid
Inputs — what data or context is available

research_task:
  description: >
    Conduct thorough research about {topic} for the year {current_year}.

    Your research should:
    1. Identify the top 5 key trends and breakthroughs
    2. For each trend, find at least 2 credible sources
    3. Note any controversies or competing viewpoints
    4. Assess potential industry impact (high/medium/low)

    Focus on developments from the last 6 months.
    Do NOT include speculation or unverified claims.
    The output will feed into a report for {target_audience}.
  expected_output: >
    A structured research brief with 5 sections, one per trend.
    Each section includes: trend name, 2-3 paragraph summary,
    source citations, impact assessment (high/medium/low),
    and a confidence level for your findings.
  agent: researcher

Expected Output — The Success Criteria

The expected_output tells the agent what "done" looks like. Be specific about:

Format — bullet points, paragraphs, JSON, table
Structure — sections, headings, order
Length — approximate word count or number of items
Quality markers — citations required, confidence levels, specific fields

Bad Expected Output	Good Expected Output
`A research report`	`A structured brief with 5 sections, each containing: trend name, 2-3 paragraph summary, source citations, and impact rating`
`An analysis of the data`	`A markdown table with columns: metric name, current value, 30-day trend, and recommended action. Include at least 10 metrics.`
`A blog post`	`A 1000-1500 word technical blog post with: title, introduction, 3-4 main sections with code examples, and a conclusion with next steps`

2. The Single Purpose Principle

One task = one objective. Never combine multiple operations into a single task.

Bad: "God Task"

# DON'T do this — too many objectives in one task
research_and_write_task:
  description: >
    Research {topic}, analyze the findings, write a blog post,
    and proofread it for grammar errors.
  expected_output: >
    A polished blog post about {topic}.

Good: Focused Tasks

research_task:
  description: >
    Research {topic} and identify the top 5 key developments.
  expected_output: >
    A research brief with 5 sections covering key trends.
  agent: researcher

writing_task:
  description: >
    Using the research findings, write a technical blog post about {topic}.
  expected_output: >
    A 1000-1500 word blog post with introduction, main sections,
    and conclusion. Include code examples where relevant.
  agent: writer

editing_task:
  description: >
    Review and edit the blog post for grammar, clarity, and consistency.
  expected_output: >
    The final edited blog post with all corrections applied.
    Include a brief editor's note listing what was changed.
  agent: editor

Each task has one clear objective. The sequential flow passes context automatically.

3. Task Configuration Reference

Essential Parameters

Task(
    description="...",          # Required: what to do
    expected_output="...",      # Required: what the result looks like
    agent=researcher,           # Optional for hierarchical process; required for sequential
)

Task Dependencies with `context`

analysis_task = Task(
    description="Analyze the research findings...",
    expected_output="...",
    agent=analyst,
    context=[research_task],    # Receives research_task's output as context
)

In sequential process: Each task auto-receives all prior task outputs. Use context only when you need non-linear dependencies.

In hierarchical process: context is how you create explicit data flow between tasks.

Structured Output

Use output_pydantic or output_json when downstream code needs to parse the result:

from pydantic import BaseModel

class ResearchReport(BaseModel):
    trends: list[str]
    confidence: float
    sources: list[str]

research_task = Task(
    description="...",
    expected_output="A structured report with trends, confidence score, and sources.",
    agent=researcher,
    output_pydantic=ResearchReport,   # Agent's output is parsed into this model
)

Important: expected_output is always a string description — never a class name. The Pydantic model goes in output_pydantic, and the expected_output text tells the agent what fields to include.

Access structured output:

result = crew.kickoff(inputs={...})
last_task_output = result.pydantic          # Pydantic model from the last task
all_outputs = result.tasks_output           # List of all TaskOutput objects
first_task = all_outputs[0].pydantic        # Pydantic from a specific task

File Output

Task(
    ...,
    output_file="output/report.md",    # Save output to file
    create_directory=True,             # Create directory if missing (default: True)
)

File output and structured output can be combined — the file gets the raw text, and output_pydantic gets the parsed model.

Async Execution

Task(
    ...,
    async_execution=True,     # Run without blocking the next task
)

Use for tasks that can run in parallel. The crew continues to the next task while this one executes. Use context on downstream tasks to wait for async results.

Human Review

Task(
    ...,
    human_input=True,         # Pause for human review before finalizing
)

When enabled, the agent presents its result and waits for human feedback before marking the task complete. Use for critical outputs that need human approval.

Markdown Formatting

Task(
    ...,
    markdown=True,            # Add markdown formatting instructions
)

Automatically instructs the agent to format output with proper markdown headers, lists, emphasis, and code blocks.

Callbacks

def log_completion(output):
    print(f"Task completed: {output.description[:50]}...")
    save_to_database(output.raw)

Task(
    ...,
    callback=log_completion,  # Called after task completion
)

4. Task Guardrails — Quality Control

Guardrails validate task output before it passes to the next step. If validation fails, the agent retries.

Function-Based Guardrails

def validate_word_count(output) -> tuple[bool, Any]:
    """Ensure output is between 500-2000 words."""
    word_count = len(output.raw.split())
    if word_count < 500:
        return (False, f"Output too short ({word_count} words). Expand to at least 500 words.")
    if word_count > 2000:
        return (False, f"Output too long ({word_count} words). Condense to under 2000 words.")
    return (True, output)

Task(
    ...,
    guardrail=validate_word_count,
    guardrail_max_retries=3,       # Max retry attempts (default: 3)
)

Return format: (bool, Any) — first element is pass/fail, second is the result (on success) or error message (on failure).

LLM-Based Guardrails

Task(
    ...,
    guardrail="Verify the output contains at least 3 source citations and no speculative claims.",
)

String guardrails use the agent's LLM to evaluate the output. Good for subjective quality checks.

Chaining Multiple Guardrails

Task(
    ...,
    guardrails=[
        validate_word_count,           # Function: check length
        validate_no_pii,               # Function: check for PII
        "Ensure the tone is professional and appropriate for a business audience.",  # LLM check
    ],
    guardrail_max_retries=3,
)

Guardrails execute sequentially. Each receives the output of the previous guardrail. Mix function-based (deterministic) and LLM-based (subjective) checks.

5. YAML Configuration (Recommended)

tasks.yaml

research_task:
  description: >
    Conduct thorough research about {topic} for {current_year}.
    Identify key trends, breakthrough technologies,
    and potential industry impacts.
    Focus on the last 6 months of developments.
  expected_output: >
    A structured research brief with 5 sections.
    Each section: trend name, 2-3 paragraph summary,
    source citations, and impact assessment.
  agent: researcher

analysis_task:
  description: >
    Analyze the research findings and create actionable recommendations
    for {target_audience}.
  expected_output: >
    A prioritized list of 5 recommendations with:
    rationale, estimated effort, and expected impact.
  agent: analyst
  context:
    - research_task

report_task:
  description: >
    Compile a final report combining research and analysis for {target_audience}.
  expected_output: >
    A polished markdown report with executive summary,
    detailed findings, recommendations, and appendices.
  agent: writer
  output_file: output/report.md

Wiring in crew.py

@CrewBase
class ResearchCrew:
    agents_config = "config/agents.yaml"
    tasks_config = "config/tasks.yaml"

    @task
    def research_task(self) -> Task:
        return Task(config=self.tasks_config["research_task"])

    @task
    def analysis_task(self) -> Task:
        return Task(
            config=self.tasks_config["analysis_task"],
            context=[self.research_task()],
        )

    @task
    def report_task(self) -> Task:
        return Task(
            config=self.tasks_config["report_task"],
            output_file="output/report.md",
        )

Critical: The method name (def research_task) must match the YAML key (research_task:).

6. Task Dependencies and Context Flow

Sequential Process (Default)

In Process.sequential, tasks run in order. Each task automatically receives all prior task outputs as context.

research_task → analysis_task → report_task
     ↓               ↓              ↓
  output 1    output 1 + 2    output 1 + 2 + 3

You don't need context= in sequential — it's implicit. Use it only to create non-linear dependencies:

# Task C depends on A but NOT B
task_c = Task(
    ...,
    context=[task_a],  # Only receives task_a output, not task_b
)

Explicit Dependencies

# Diamond dependency pattern
task_a = Task(...)                          # Entry point
task_b = Task(..., context=[task_a])        # Depends on A
task_c = Task(..., context=[task_a])        # Also depends on A
task_d = Task(..., context=[task_b, task_c])  # Depends on both B and C

Conditional Tasks

from crewai.task import ConditionalTask

def needs_more_data(output) -> bool:
    return len(output.pydantic.items) < 10

extra_research = ConditionalTask(
    description="Fetch additional data sources...",
    expected_output="...",
    agent=researcher,
    condition=needs_more_data,  # Only runs if previous output has < 10 items
)

7. Task Tools

Tasks can have their own tools that override the agent's default tools for that specific task:

from crewai_tools import SerperDevTool, ScrapeWebsiteTool

Task(
    description="Search for and scrape the top 5 articles about {topic}...",
    expected_output="...",
    agent=researcher,
    tools=[SerperDevTool(), ScrapeWebsiteTool()],  # Task-specific tools
)

When to use task-level tools:

The task needs tools the agent doesn't normally have
You want to restrict an agent to specific tools for this task
Different tasks by the same agent need different tool sets

8. Variable Interpolation

Use {variable} placeholders in YAML for reusable tasks:

research_task:
  description: >
    Research {topic} trends for {current_year},
    targeting {target_audience}.
  expected_output: >
    A report on {topic} suitable for {target_audience}.

Variables are replaced when you call crew.kickoff(inputs={...}):

crew.kickoff(inputs={
    "topic": "AI Agents",
    "current_year": "2025",
    "target_audience": "developers",
})

Common mistakes:

Missing variable in inputs → literal {variable} appears in the prompt
Using {{ }} Jinja2 syntax → crewAI uses single braces { }
Unused variables in inputs → silently ignored (no error)

9. Common Task Design Mistakes

Mistake	Impact	Fix
Vague description ("Research the topic")	Agent produces shallow, unfocused output	Add specific steps, constraints, and context
Vague expected_output ("A report")	Agent guesses at format and structure	Specify format, sections, length, quality markers
Multiple objectives in one task	Agent does all of them poorly	Split into focused single-purpose tasks
No context between dependent tasks	Agent lacks information from prior steps	Use `context=[prior_task]` for explicit dependencies
`expected_output` references a Pydantic class	Agent sees a class name string, not field names	Keep `expected_output` as a human-readable string; use `output_pydantic` for the model
Missing tools for data tasks	Agent fabricates data instead of fetching it	Add tools to the task or agent
No guardrails on critical output	Bad output flows downstream unchecked	Add function or LLM guardrails
Overly strict expected_output	Agent loops trying to match impossible criteria	Be specific but achievable; lower `guardrail_max_retries` to fail faster
Description duplicates backstory	Wasted tokens and confused agent	Description = what to do; backstory = who you are

10. Task Design Checklist

Before running a task, verify:

References

For deeper dives into specific topics, see:

Structured Output — output_pydantic, output_json, and response_format patterns across LLM, Agent, Task, and Crew levels

For related skills:

getting-started — project scaffolding, choosing the right abstraction, Flow architecture
design-agent — agent Role-Goal-Backstory framework, parameter tuning, tool assignment, memory & knowledge configuration
ask-docs — query the live CrewAI documentation MCP server for questions not covered by these skills

design-task