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Tasks vs. Appointments in LeadCenter and Redtail

LeadCenter and Redtail do not handle tasks and appointments the same way. This matters during migration because Redtail stores both together as activities, while LeadCenter stores them separately.

Understanding this difference helps you review your activity mapping correctly and know what to expect after migration.

Overview

In LeadCenter, tasks and appointments are stored as separate record types with different behavior. In Redtail, both are stored together as activities and are separated only by activity type.

Because of this difference, every Redtail activity category must be mapped to either a Task or an Appointment in LeadCenter before migration.

Important: If an activity code is left unmapped during migration, activities in that category will not be migrated.

How LeadCenter Handles Appointments

In LeadCenter, appointments are stored separately from tasks and are designed for calendar-based scheduling.

LeadCenter supports three appointment types:

1) Appointments with contacts

• Used for client-facing or prospect-facing meetings
• Can trigger confirmation emails
• Can trigger reminder emails and text messages
• Can trigger follow-up emails
• Are added to the contact’s appointment history

2) Internal appointments

• Used for meetings between internal users
• Do not send reminders or follow-ups to a contact
• Appear on internal users’ calendars
• Can generate internal notifications

3) Time slots

• Used as free/busy blocks
• Reserve time on a calendar
• Are not tied to a contact
• Help other users understand availability

How LeadCenter Handles Tasks

In LeadCenter, tasks are stored separately from appointments and are designed for true to-do items.

• They can be created manually or automatically through Workflows.
• They do not block calendar time.
• They can optionally be shown on the calendar, but they are still tasks, not appointments.
• They remain visible on the dedicated Tasks page until completed or cancelled.

Task statuses in LeadCenter

• To-Do
• In Progress
• Completed
• Cancelled

Tasks can also become Overdue if they pass their due date without being completed.

Key difference: Tasks can be created automatically by Workflows, while appointments cannot.

How Redtail Handles Activities

In Redtail, tasks and appointments are stored together as activities rather than as separate record types.

The difference between a task and an appointment in Redtail is determined by the activity type or activity code, not by separate objects.

That is why the migration team must complete an activity mapping exercise with each customer before migration.

Why Activity Mapping Is Required During Migration

Since Redtail activities are all stored together, each Redtail activity code must be reviewed and assigned to the correct LeadCenter record type.

During migration, each activity category is mapped as either:

• Task in LeadCenter
• Appointment in LeadCenter

This mapping is confirmed with your team before migration starts.

Important: If an activity code is left blank in the mapping file, activities in that category will not be migrated.

Historical Activities and Compliance Recordkeeping

All historical Redtail activities can still be migrated for recordkeeping purposes, even if your firm decides not to continue using a certain activity category going forward.

This helps preserve your historical records for compliance and reference.

After migration, categories can be changed or removed in LeadCenter, and those changes generate an audit log.

Important Post-Migration Behavior

Redtail appointments synced after migration are read-only

After migration, appointments created in Redtail can still appear in LeadCenter, but they are treated differently from appointments created directly in LeadCenter.

Redtail-created appointments that sync into LeadCenter are read-only and do not trigger LeadCenter’s client-facing appointment automation.

That means they do not trigger:

• confirmation emails
• reminder emails
• text reminders
• follow-up emails
• contact calendar additions in the same way as native LeadCenter appointments

Important: If your team wants client-facing appointment automation, LeadCenter recommends creating those appointments directly in LeadCenter instead of continuing to create them in Redtail.

Examples

Example 1: A to-do item

In Redtail, your team may have an activity code for something like Call client next week. During migration, that category would usually be mapped to a Task in LeadCenter because it is a to-do item, not a scheduled meeting.

Example 2: A client review meeting

In Redtail, your team may have an activity code for something like Annual Review Meeting. During migration, that category would usually be mapped to an Appointment in LeadCenter because it represents scheduled time on the calendar.

Example 3: A future Redtail-created appointment

After migration, if a user creates a new client appointment in Redtail, that appointment may sync into LeadCenter as a read-only record. It may appear in LeadCenter, but it will not send confirmation emails, reminders, or follow-up emails from LeadCenter.

Best Practices

• Review your activity mapping carefully before migration so each Redtail activity category goes to the right place in LeadCenter.
• Map calendar-based meetings as appointments and true to-do items as tasks.
• Do not leave activity codes blank if you want those records migrated.
• Use LeadCenter for client-facing appointments after migration if you want confirmation emails, reminders, and follow-up automation.
• Keep historical categories if needed for recordkeeping, even if your firm plans to stop using those categories going forward.

FAQs

Why does LeadCenter need activity mapping for Redtail migration?

Because Redtail stores tasks and appointments together as activities, while LeadCenter stores them separately. Each Redtail activity category must be mapped to the correct LeadCenter record type.

What happens if an activity code is left blank during mapping?

Activities in that category will not be migrated.

Do recurring Redtail activities still migrate?

Yes. Recurring activities can be migrated based on the mapping confirmed with your team.

Can LeadCenter workflows create appointments?

No. Workflows can create tasks, but not appointments.

Do Redtail appointments synced after migration trigger LeadCenter reminders and follow-ups?

No. Post-migration Redtail appointments that sync into LeadCenter are read-only and do not trigger LeadCenter’s confirmation emails, reminders, or follow-up emails.

What should we use for client-facing appointments after migration?

LeadCenter recommends creating client-facing appointments directly in LeadCenter so you can use appointment confirmations, reminders, follow-up emails, and other appointment automation.

Will old Redtail activity categories still migrate even if we do not want to use them going forward?

Yes. Historical activities can still be migrated for compliance and recordkeeping, even if your firm later changes or removes those categories in LeadCenter.

Need Help?

If you have questions about how your Redtail activities should be mapped during migration, contact support@leadcenter.ai.