Creating your first board using a template
To get started, you'll need to create at least one board After logging into your account, select the "Create New Board" option located on the vertical panel on the right side of your screen.
Easily name your board and select from a variety of predefined templates to streamline your workflow and start working instantly.
Enhance your project planning with the AI board assistant by providing a brief overview of your intended activities The AI-driven tool will then recommend a customized board layout and suggest suitable card types tailored to your specific needs This intelligent feature streamlines your workflow, making organization more efficient and personalized for your unique use case.
In the pre-made templates, there are two kinds of boards – simple and team, each with three sub-types:
This is a very simple workflow, suitable for basic personal work and time management It has three self-descriptive states:
• In progress with limit to keep you from doing too many things at the same time.
• Done for reference and to track your performance.
A time-driven Kanban board template
The time driven version of basic workflow Works best if you plan in a time based manner The board layout looks as follows:
• Soon - things to do in near future
• Tomorrow - limited number of things scheduled for tomorrow
• Today - things to do today with limit of 7 cards to keep you focused and organized
• In progress with limit to keep you from doing too many things at the same time.
• Done for reference and to track your performance.
A time-driven Kanban board template
An event-driven Kanban board template
An event-driven workflow is most effective when external triggers, such as approval or the completion of a specific stage, determine the next set of tasks This approach ensures tasks are initiated precisely when ready, optimizing efficiency The workflow is visually organized using a board layout that clearly displays task status and progression, facilitating seamless project management and improved task visibility Implementing an event-driven system enhances flexibility and responsiveness, making it ideal for dynamic environments where external factors influence task progression.
• To do with three categories:
• Backlog - things to do some time in future
• Waiting – a limited number of selected tasks waiting for some event to happen (i.e approval)
• Ready - things ready to start working on
• In progress with an all important limit to keep you from doing too many things at the same time.
• Done for reference and to track your performance.
An event-driven Kanban board template
Team boards use buffers to signal that tasks are ready to be pulled to the next workflow stage, possibly by other team members The board layout looks as follows:
• Backlog - containing all the things a team can work on
• In progress with two columns:
• Waiting - for tasks ready to be pulled when enough capacity is reached
• Working - limited number of tasks currently being worked on
• Done for keeping a reference and to monitor team performance.
A team Board template for product development
This template can act as a base for describing a product development process
A basic team Kanban board template
A team board template for sales pipeline management
This template can act as a base for describing your sales pipeline
A team Kanban board template for product development
A team board template for online marketing
This template can act as a base for running your online marketing processes
A team Kanban board template for a sales pipeline
Kanban Tool enhances organization by allowing users to create folders to store multiple boards, making it easier to manage a growing collection Simply click "Create new folder" on the Dashboard to set up a designated space for your boards To keep your workspace tidy, use the "move" option in the board’s menu to easily transfer boards into the desired folders This feature streamlines project management and improves workflow efficiency.
There are numerous ways to design a project board tailored to your team's specific needs If you're unsure of which setup is best, we recommend starting with a simple workflow using the "create new board" widget This approach provides a flexible foundation that can be easily customized as your project evolves, ensuring efficient team collaboration and task management.
You can add new columns and swimlanes at any time, later on, should your team's and project's needs change
A team Kanban board template for online marketing
Customizing your board
The „Board Editor” allows changing the layout of your project, as well as adding new columns and swimlanes to the workflow.
Access it from Settings → Board Editor, located in the top-right corner of your board view.
In this view, your board is a little faded, and each column and swimlane has a set of four icons that can introduce changes:
- the pencil icon allows you to edit the column or swimlane
The split fork icon is used to divide a specific column into two separate sections, enhancing data organization and clarity When managing tasks, you may need to further subdivide a group of items—for example, splitting "TO DO" tasks into "TO DO (this week)" and "TO DO (next week)." This flexible feature allows you to divide and subdivide your columns as much as needed, enabling efficient project management and improved categorization.
- the bin icon is used to delete a particular column or swimlane when you decide it is no longer needed
The gray right and left arrow icons enable users to easily rearrange columns or swimlanes on the board Simply click on an arrow icon next to a column or swimlane to swap its position with the adjacent one in the indicated direction This feature provides a quick and intuitive way to customize your workflow layout for enhanced organization and efficiency.
The board layout edition screen
To add a column or a swimlane, click on the big green icon visible on the right and at the bottom of the board respectively.
The Work In Progress limits are designed to reduce multi-tasking and maximize throughput
To add work in progress limits per column go to
Settings → Board editor and click the pencil icon to edit the limit Fill the work in progress limit in WIP limit field and save
To add a Kanban policy, navigate to your board and go to Settings → Board editor Click the edit (pencil icon) next to the column or swimlane where you want to assign the policy This allows you to customize your workflows effectively.
Then fill the Lane (or Swimlane)
Policy/Description field The policy will be available for every Kanban board user when hovering over the blue info icon on the board.
Adding people to your account
3.1 Sharing the account in full capacity
Start collaborating by adding new users to your account Please click the People tab, visible in the top left the menu.
In the screen that follows, you are able to set an entire sub-account for any person you need to take part in using your Kanban board
There, you can also assign privileges that determine how much change the particular person can introduce onto the boards:
Adding a WIP limit to a column
• If you want this person to view all boards and folders, select the account owner privileges These privileges allow to see and do everything with and within your account
To allow a user to view, manage, and create new items within your account, assign them account administrator privileges However, please note that they will not have the ability to edit any account settings.
To ensure users can only access shared boards and efficiently create and manage new ones, assign them project manager privileges Project managers have the authority to invite new users to the boards but cannot modify user options in the People section This role-based permission setup streamlines collaboration while maintaining control over user management.
3.2 Sharing selected boards and folders
Once you've added a team member to the account, you can share boards and folders with them The easierst way to do this is to use a board or folder's
To grant a user access to a specific board or folder, invite them first, then navigate to the share options, select their name, and assign the appropriate access permissions.
When you fill out the pop-up form, the person will receive an email containing their username, password, and access URL to your account To invite a new user, click "Add New Person" and complete the form, selecting the "Full Access" option to enable task creation, modification, movement, and deletion This invited user will only have access to the specific board or folder you designate, ensuring controlled collaboration.
Sharing a selected board with others
With custom access options, you can define specific permissions for each user on your board For example, granting read-only access allows users to view the board without making any modifications This ensures precise control over user interactions and maintains the integrity of your content Customized permissions help streamline collaboration while safeguarding your data.
Easily share individual boards with others by using the Share option located in the top right corner of the board view, next to the Settings, Tools, and Help links This feature streamlines collaboration and enhances team productivity by enabling quick and secure sharing of board contents.
3.3 Adding multiple users to the account
Easily add multiple people to your account by importing a csv file containing their details, saving time compared to manual entries Simply navigate to the "People" section and select "Invite a Whole Team" to upload your file and invite your team members efficiently.
3.4 User groups – easier access management
Enterprise plan subscribers can optimize collaboration with the user groups feature, allowing for efficient data access management Instead of sharing individual boards with each user, you assign users to specific groups, and boards are shared once with each group, providing access to all current and future members automatically This simplifies user management and enhances data security, making it ideal for larger teams where access control is critical.
To learn more about user groups please visit this page.
Assigning a team member to a user group
3.5 Personalized company logo on your login page
Account owners can easily add a logo image through Account Administration > Account Settings, enhancing brand visibility and strengthening the connection between your company’s workflow and branding The uploaded logo will appear on the account login page and dashboard, providing a professional and cohesive user experience.
Using your Kanban board
Once your board is customized to meet your team or project's needs, you can start adding tasks effortlessly To add a task to a specific column, simply double-click on the empty space within that column or click the + link This streamlined process enables efficient task management and improves overall workflow.
A card creation screen will appear Here you can, for example:
• name the task – the name is the only field you're required to fill
• create a checklist of items that are part of the task; each of them can be assigned to a specific user, and can have its own sub-set of lists
• write a task description, or simply copy & paste any external information about it
A Kanban Tool dashboard with custom company logo
Enhance task efficiency by adding card attachments that simplify completion and understanding Currently, attachments can only be uploaded from your computer unless you've enabled integrations with Google Drive or Box, or activated the Web Attachments power-up for seamless adding from web sources For detailed instructions, refer to Section 20.9, page 69.
File attachments from a computer are not available in Kanban Tool's Free plan However, users can leverage integrations with file hosting services like Google Drive and Box to attach files to cards, providing an alternative solution for managing files within the platform.
• change the type of the card – types are usually connected to colors and will be discussed in sections that follow
• set the priority of the task
Add tags to your tasks for improved management and easy searchability within your board These tags help organize and locate tasks quickly using the search engine visible in the top right corner Additionally, explore other available fields on cards through the Card Template to customize your task management experience effectively.
The „Add at the top” option
After filling in all the task details, you can easily prioritize it by placing it at the top of the column, using the option located at the bottom right corner of the task card This feature is especially useful for adding last-minute or urgent tasks to busy columns, ensuring they receive prompt attention.
Note: Please note this is a standard layout of a card Adding further functions (fields) to the cards will be described in the next sections.
When you open your new card you will notice some additional options available
The side panel accessible through the red chat-like icon allows any user with board access to leave notes on a specific task Each comment displays the author's name and the date, eliminating the need for users to sign their comments This feature facilitates clear and organized communication within the project management platform.
Comments are integrated within the card history, presented in chronological order from the card's creation to the most recent updates Each change is documented with the date, time, and the name of the individual who made it, ensuring transparent trackability This comprehensive timeline enhances clarity, allows for easy tracking of modifications, and provides a complete record of the card’s evolution Incorporating detailed comments within the historical context optimizes transparency and improves the overall management of the card’s development process.
Comments are to be entered via the bottom text window, and can include attachments and links to convey more information
Comment notifications can be sent to specific individuals or user groups via email, ensuring the right team members are informed To address a comment to a team member, you can select a user from the list below the comment text editor or simply type @Name, @Surname, @NS, or @group directly within the comment The designated person will then receive an email containing the comment and a link to the relevant card, facilitating efficient communication and collaboration.
Comments can be exchanged either by replying in Kanban Tool or by replying to the notification email – whichever works for you
To reference other tasks in your comments, simply type "#" in the comment creation window and select the relevant task to mention Once your comment is posted, the reference will automatically convert into a clickable hyperlink, making task tracking and collaboration more efficient This feature streamlines communication and keeps your project organized.
At the bottom of the card, you will also notice the time passed since the card's last edition If you're using Kanban Tool's time t
The task comments and history icon allows users to track team activity and project progress It displays detailed information about the work performed on each card, including the total time spent By monitoring the timing of tasks directly under the task's name, teams can enhance effort visibility and improve overall project management efficiency.
If you're not using time tracking, the only additional information under the task's name will be the name of the column, in which that task is currently placed.
Moving around the Kanban board
Kanban boards emphasize simplicity by visually tracking the progress of tasks through various stages of a project They help teams monitor each card’s movement from start to finish, typically moving from left to right across the board The primary goal of a Kanban board is to provide a clear overview of project status, ensuring smooth workflow and timely completion Using a Kanban board enhances transparency, boosts productivity, and streamlines project management by clearly illustrating task progression.
To move a card around the board just use the standard Drag & Drop method You can also use a card drop-down menu Just right-click on the card and select
Move This action will progress the card to the next column to the right.
If you have more tasks that need to be moved from one column to another, right- click in any empty space within a column and select Move all.
5.1 Selecting several cards at once
To select multiple tasks on the board, hold down the CTRL key and click on each task individually Alternatively, you can quickly select multiple cards by drawing a selection rectangle with your mouse, similar to how you would on your operating system Just click and drag to mark an area, and all tasks within that rectangle will be selected, making bulk management easy and efficient.
Easily manage multiple cards by moving all selected items simultaneously or editing their properties To do so, right-click on any of the selected cards and choose the "Edit #" tasks option for quick adjustments For step-by-step guidance and practical examples of these actions, please refer to the provided resources.
Managing large boards is easy with collapsible and expandable columns; simply click on a column label when expanded or the "+" sign when collapsed to toggle views You can efficiently move cards to collapsed columns by dragging a card over the collapsed area and holding it there until the column expands, ensuring seamless workflow management.
Customizing the card template
Easily customize your Kanban card layout to meet your specific needs by editing the card template in Settings → Card Template The settings are conveniently located in the top right corner of the board view, next to options such as Share, Tools, and Help, allowing for quick and seamless adjustments.
In Card Template, you are able to choose from among several field types:
You can enter your tasks' details in here and apply text formatting, including tables, images and links if desired.
The field accepts all file types up to a 20 MB size limit, ensuring broad compatibility for your uploads Graphic files and PDFs will generate instant image previews for easy reference Additionally, you can attach files directly from popular web services by enabling Web Attachments, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive power-ups, making file management more seamless and versatile.
Easily attach external links to your cards, enabling quick access to vital information from relevant websites Once an external link is added, users can open it with a single click, whether the card is open or closed, by clicking the chain-link icon This feature enhances efficiency by providing seamless access to essential online resources for task completion.
Using different card types distinguished by specific names and colors simplifies task identification and categorization, making project management more intuitive When multiple colors are involved, it’s helpful to display a key with the Card Legend power-up to clearly explain each color’s meaning, enhancing clarity and organization This approach streamlines workflow and improves team communication by providing visual cues for task priorities and categories.
Sorting tasks and planning work sequences is simplified by using priority settings Assigning a high priority to a card displays a red arrow on its front, indicating urgency, while setting a low priority highlights the task with a green arrow for lower importance This visual cue helps streamline task management and ensures efficient workflow organization.
Setting a start date for a task indicates when work should begin, helping to streamline project planning Using both start and due dates on cards enhances workflow clarity, allowing prioritization of tasks and better time management When a task has both dates assigned, you can easily preview its timeline in the Calendar Widget, improving overall project visibility and efficiency.
The planned completion date of a task is clearly indicated within your project management tool Once set, a calendar icon will appear on the closed task, providing a visual cue When the due date is nine days away or less, a countdown will be displayed directly on the task card, helping you stay ahead of deadlines To enhance your planning efficiency, utilize due-date-specific board filters for easy and effective task management.
Easily assign tasks to specific team members with access to the board, ensuring clear delegation of responsibilities When you assign a task, the designated team member receives an email notification containing a direct link to the task for quick access The initials of the responsible team member are displayed on the task card, providing quick visual identification Additionally, users can filter boards to view only the work items assigned to them, enhancing individual task management and productivity.
You can enhance your cards by adding an external ID, which can be made editable and visible on the front for quick identification Setting sequential numbers ensures each ID is unique across all your boards, facilitating organized tracking Additionally, you can choose to automatically generate external IDs for new cards, streamlining your workflow An editable external ID is especially useful for fast searching and maintaining organized groups of cards.
The Estimated Time field allows users to record their predicted task duration, helping plan and manage workflow effectively For Enterprise plan clients, this feature offers a visual comparison between the actual time spent on a task and the original estimate, providing valuable insights into productivity and time management Utilizing the Estimated Time field enhances project tracking accuracy and supports better decision-making for teams aiming to optimize their workload.
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When a task is underway that was previously estimated, a pale green progress bar appears at the bottom of the card, indicating that the current runtime remains within the original estimate.
If your work exceeds the initial time estimate, a new progress bar will appear in pale red, indicating how much you've gone over This feature helps you track delays effectively and stay informed about your project timeline For more details about this functionality, please visit the designated website.
Our task difficulty assessment tool enables you to evaluate and rank the complexity of various tasks by indicating the effort needed for completion The platform features a predefined scale with specific points but allows customization, so your team can input their own values for more accurate and tailored evaluations.
To tag a card, simply type the tag in the Tags field and press Enter Tags that have been added to at least one card will appear in the Tags drop-down menu on other cards, allowing for quick selection This feature streamlines task organization by enabling easy filtering and identification of tasks through consistent tagging Using tags effectively helps you quickly categorize and locate tasks across your board, enhancing your overall workflow efficiency.
Defining card types
In the Settings → Card Types menu, you can assign colors to different types of cards, enhancing organization and visual clarity This feature allows you to customize card colors for specific users, prioritize tasks based on urgency, or categorize tasks by their nature for better workflow management—making it the most recommended approach for efficient task tracking.
Customizing the board look
You can make significant changes to the way your board Selecting a background image, theme and scale
The background option in the Settings menu allows users to browse the entire Unsplash image library or upload their own images for a personalized experience You can enhance your interface by selecting a matching color theme, such as Default, Dark, or the minimalist Lite This feature offers flexible customization to improve visual appeal and user engagement.
While you’re making changes to how the board looks, you can also scale the board to better suit your available screen size, using the magnifying glass icons.
Notifications
There are 3 instances when a user gets notifications by email:
• when this user is assigned to a task,
• when this user is assigned to a checklist item of a task,
• when someone adds a comment to a task and selects this user to be notified about it
If you want to be informed about the status changes of all tasks on a board, you need to subscribe to RSS feeds.
You can easily generate a link to RSS While on the Kanban board, please go to tools → subscribe to RSS.
For security reasons, each user receives a unique URL for RSS feeds to safeguard access to their cards, boards, and projects The correct RSS feed URL is generated specifically for you and must include "surl=" followed by a unique number This personalized URL helps ensure that your data remains secure while using RSS feeds.
10.2 Additional notifications: Work summary & due task reminder
Work summary is a daily email, letting you know what tasks you and your team were working on over the past 24 hours.
A due task reminder email notifies you of upcoming tasks, either for the current day if scheduled in the morning or for the following day if set for the afternoon You can easily customize your email preferences through the "My Profile" section by selecting "Edit my details." Access "My Profile" by clicking on your name displayed in the top right corner of the dashboard, allowing you to manage your notification settings conveniently.
You may also define completely custom notifications with the help of Automation Rules (Enterprise plan only) This is configurable from board Settings – Process Automation.
Also, you can create own due date reminders with the Task Reminders power-up.
11 Import of tasks from Excel or CSV, mass updates on tasks & export to CSV
Easily import multiple tasks to your Kanban board by uploading an Excel or CSV file, dragging data directly from an Excel sheet into the import window, or manually entering task details into Kanban Tool's import table To get started, simply click the Tools menu and select Import tasks for a seamless onboarding process.
When importing a file with a title row that labels data types in each column, it's advisable to delete the header row beforehand or use the built-in import options to ignore the first row Additionally, if the import process misidentifies your data separators, you can adjust this setting within the import options to ensure accurate data parsing.
Once you've got the first row removed and data separators in order, it's time to assign which card fields are represented by which column On many occasions,
Kanban Tool will recognize some fields itself, especially if you're using a
Kanban Tool export file to import back
If your file has any empty columns, or columns you do not want or can't import back to Kanban Tool, leave the heading above this row as (ignored) For
Reviewing the import data all other columns, be sure to choose the right data type field from the drop-down list.
To select options governed by board settings, such as card types, simply hover over the relevant field to reveal a dropdown arrow Clicking this arrow allows you to choose the appropriate option from the available list This functionality is available for various field types, and whenever you see the dropdown arrow, it indicates that multiple options are accessible for selection.
To import your data, click the blue Import button at the bottom of the screen If any issues occur during the import process, a black exclamation point will appear Hover your mouse over the exclamation point to view detailed information about the specific problem, ensuring a smooth and error-free import.
The import feature enables you to update existing tasks directly on your board by including their IDs in the import list When IDs are specified, the imported data will overwrite the current task details, allowing for efficient mass updates of due dates, user assignments, priorities, and tags This functionality streamlines project management by simplifying bulk edits and keeping your task information up to date.
Easily export all tasks from your board to an Excel or CSV file by navigating to Tools → Export Tasks During the export process, you can customize which information to include in your data file, ensuring you capture exactly what you need for your needs.
Kanban Tool enables you to archive completed tasks, keeping your board clutter-free while preserving access to past work To archive a task, simply right-click on it and select the archive option from the drop-down menu This feature helps maintain an organized workflow and ensures you can easily review archived tasks whenever needed.
By default, archiving options are available only in the last column of your Kanban board However, you can customize your columns by navigating to Settings → Board Editor and clicking the pencil icon under a specific column name to enable archiving in any column of your choice.
To archive all tasks in a column just right-click anywhere in that column and select the Archive all option.
To unarchive a task and place it back on the board, click the folder icon at the top of an archive-enabled column, right-click on the desired item, and select the "Put back on the board" option.
It can also be done for multiple cards at once, after a number of cards was selected with the CTRL button pressed.
Access comprehensive analytical metrics in Kanban Tool via the Tools menu located at the top right corner of your board view Within this menu, you’ll find key features such as Analytics, Changelog, and, for Enterprise plan users, a detailed Time Report to monitor project performance and progress efficiently.
Easily generate detailed reports on your board's current status by selecting relevant information from the drop-down menus Simply choose the data points you're interested in and click the green 'Go' button to visualize the results as an informative pie chart This streamlined process provides quick insights and helps you effectively monitor your project's progress.
13.2 Lead and Cycle Time diagram
Average task duration measures the time it takes for tasks to move from a defined start point to an end state, serving as a vital metric for tracking process delays This metric offers a comprehensive view of team performance by highlighting the delay between task initiation and completion Essentially, it reflects the difference between work time and process time, providing insights into efficiency and workflow effectiveness Using average time metrics helps identify bottlenecks and optimize project timelines for better productivity.
A CFD (Cumulative Flow Diagram) provides a comprehensive view of your entire workflow by tracking items across different stages, making it an essential tool for process visualization The horizontal x-axis represents time, while the vertical y-axis shows the number of tasks, allowing teams to monitor workload progression Each colored area in the CFD illustrates the volume of work at each stage, helping identify bottlenecks and assess team velocity Utilizing a CFD enables teams to optimize workflow efficiency and improve project delivery.
14 Time tracking and time report