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Basecamp Features Overview

Jul 2, 2025

Summary

  • Chase from the Basecamp team led a session covering advanced Basecamp features and workflow optimizations.
  • Topics included project organization, user roles and permissions, grouping via companies and groups, prioritizing and visualizing to-dos, keyboard shortcuts, calendar integrations, project templates, and external integrations.
  • Attendees were shown practical tips for saving time and maximizing Basecamp’s organizational capabilities.

Action Items

  • (No specific due dates or individual owners were mentioned in the transcript.)

Project Organization & Navigation Tips

  • Users can customize the project view using cards, lists, or a hybrid.
  • Projects can be starred for quick access, which reorders the display based on when items are starred.
  • Use naming conventions (prefixes) to group related projects for easier management.

Managing Users, Permissions & Invites

  • Account owners see all projects and users; admins see all users but only their assigned projects.
  • When adding new users, select specific projects they can access and assign permissions such as “can create new projects” or “administrator.” Only trusted users should be given admin rights.
  • The “billing liaison” can manage billing but does not have admin power automatically.
  • The “Everyone” page shows which users have accepted invites (names) and those pending (email addresses), with options to resend invites.

Companies & Groups Organization

  • Users can be organized into companies and sub-groups for easier management and assignment.
  • Assigning projects or sending messages is simplified by being able to select entire companies or groups rather than individuals.

To-Do List Management & Visualization

  • To-dos can be reordered by drag-and-drop for prioritization.
  • Emojis can be added for visual priority markers (e.g., numbers for levels 1-5).
  • Subtasks or checklist items can be managed via comments on to-do items.
  • Emojis can be used anywhere in Basecamp for feedback or emphasis.

Keyboard Shortcuts & Navigation

  • Shortcut keys (e.g., G1-G6, GF) enable quick navigation between Basecamp areas.
  • Double-clicking page corners jumps to the top or bottom of any page for rapid access.

Calendar Integration

  • Basecamp calendars can be subscribed to via iCal links in desktop programs or web calendars (e.g., Google Calendar).
  • Google Calendar may take up to two hours to sync Basecamp events.
  • Separate links are available for “all calendars” or individual projects.

Project Templates

  • Templates streamline repetitive project setups, including pre-built discussions, to-do lists, and file sections.
  • Due dates in templates use relative “week” markers so schedule aligns with project start.
  • Projects created from templates first enter a draft state for edits before being activated and notifying participants.

Integrations & Help Resources

  • Basecamp offers official mobile apps and supports numerous third-party integrations for reporting, invoicing, time tracking, and more.
  • The help tab provides instant answers, video guides, and ways to contact support (via form or Twitter).

Decisions

  • (No formal decisions were made or documented during this session.)

Open Questions / Follow-Ups

  • (No open questions or follow-ups were documented.)