How to set up portfolio dashboards on Asana

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Portfolio dashboards in Asana allow you to track multiple projects from a single view by creating a portfolio, adding relevant projects, and customizing the dashboard with status updates and progress tracking. This feature requires a Premium or Business subscription and provides real-time insights across your project portfolio.

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Prerequisites

Asana Premium or Business account
Multiple active projects in your Asana workspace
Admin or project owner permissions
Basic understanding of Asana project structure

Step-by-Step Instructions

Create a new portfolio

Click the + button in the left sidebar and select Portfolio. Give your portfolio a descriptive name like Marketing Campaigns Q1 or Product Development. Choose whether to make it Public to team or Private based on your sharing needs.

Use clear naming conventions that reflect the portfolio's purpose to make it easier for team members to find and understand.

Add projects to your portfolio

Click Add projects in your newly created portfolio. Select projects from the dropdown menu by checking the boxes next to each relevant project. You can add up to 250 projects per portfolio. Click Add to confirm your selections.

Group related projects together for better organization - consider creating separate portfolios for different departments or initiatives.

Configure project status settings

Navigate to the Progress tab in your portfolio. Click Status update settings and choose your preferred frequency (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). Enable Automatic reminders to prompt project owners to provide status updates on schedule.

Set reminder notifications 1-2 days before the status update deadline to give project owners time to prepare comprehensive updates.

Customize dashboard views

Switch between different portfolio views using the tabs: Progress for status overview, Workload for team capacity, and Dashboard for custom charts. In Dashboard view, click Add chart to create custom visualizations like project completion rates or task distribution.

Use the Workload view to identify team members who may be overallocated across multiple projects in your portfolio.

Set up custom fields for tracking

Click the Fields button in the top-right corner of your portfolio. Add custom fields like Project Health, Budget Status, or Priority Level. Configure field types as dropdown, number, or text based on your tracking needs.

Standardize custom fields across similar portfolios to maintain consistency in reporting and analysis.

Configure portfolio permissions

Click the Share button and adjust who can view or edit the portfolio. Add specific team members or entire teams as Viewers or Editors. Enable Comment access to allow stakeholders to provide feedback without editing privileges.

Grant editor access sparingly to maintain data integrity while ensuring relevant stakeholders have viewing access for transparency.

Set up automated reporting

In the Progress tab, click Status update settings and enable Send portfolio updates to. Add email addresses of stakeholders who should receive automated portfolio summaries. Choose the frequency and format for these automated reports.

Include executive stakeholders in automated reports to keep them informed without requiring them to actively check Asana.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Cannot see Portfolio option when clicking the + button

Portfolio dashboards require an Asana Premium or Business subscription. Upgrade your account or contact your workspace admin to add you to a paid plan.

Projects not appearing in the Add Projects dropdown

Ensure you have project member access to the projects you want to add. Contact project owners to add you as a member, or ask workspace admins to grant you appropriate permissions.

Status updates not showing in portfolio progress view

Project owners must manually post status updates or you need to enable automatic status reminders. Go to Status update settings and configure reminder frequency and recipients.

Custom charts not displaying data correctly

Verify that the custom fields are properly configured in individual projects and that data has been entered. Charts require consistent field usage across portfolio projects to display meaningful insights.

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