Overview
Every project has steps that have to happen the same way, every time. Kickoff tasks, safety checks, document collection, closeout items. When those steps live in someone's head, they get missed. When they live in a spreadsheet nobody opens, same result.
The Checklists module gives you a place to capture those repeatable work items inside the project itself, tied directly to the job, visible to your whole team. You can build a checklist from scratch, start from a saved template, and mark a checklist as the default for all new projects so every new job starts with it already in place.
Once work is underway, your team checks off items as they go. A progress bar shows how many items are complete at a glance. You can edit any checklist at any time as scope evolves, and when you've built something worth reusing, you can save it as a template in seconds.
This guide walks you through creating checklists, managing templates, setting defaults, and keeping items up to date through the life of a project.
Understanding Checklists
What It Does
The Checklists module allows you and your team to:
Create checklists from scratch inside any lead or project with a title, description, and as many items as you need
Start from a saved template so you don't rebuild the same list on every job
Set a default checklist that automatically applies to every new project you create
Add items quickly by pressing Enter to move to the next line
Track completion with a progress bar and checkboxes on every item
Save any checklist as a template for future reuse via the Manage Templates panel
Reorder and manage templates with drag-to-reorder, Sort A-Z, and Active toggles
Edit or delete checklists at any time as project scope changes
When to Use It
Checklists are most valuable when you want to:
Make sure the same kickoff, midpoint, or closeout steps happen on every project
Give your field or office team a clear shared view of what's done and what's still open
Stop relying on memory or separate spreadsheets for repeatable process steps
Build a checklist once on one project and reuse it across all future jobs
Apply a consistent set of steps automatically to every new project without having to remember to add them
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Open the Checklists Module
Click Projects in the left sidebar and open the project you want to work in
Click Checklists in the module top bar
If no checklists exist yet, you'll see an empty state with a New Checklist button in the center.
2. Create a New Checklist
Click New Checklist in the top right corner
The Create New Checklist modal opens with two options:
Start From Scratch Select this to build a new checklist from the ground up. Enter a Name and optional Description, then click Create.
Choose a Template Select this to start from a previously saved template. Use the Select A Template dropdown to pick one, then enter a Name and optional Description and click Create.
Check the Set as default for all new projects checkbox if you want this checklist to apply automatically to every new project going forward (see Step 4 for more detail)
Note: You can have multiple checklists on the same project. Create separate checklists for different phases - kickoff, midpoint, closeout - rather than putting everything in one long list.
3. Add Checklist Items
After clicking Create, the checklist editor opens.
Confirm or update the Checklist Title and Checklist Description
Under Checklist Items, click the input field and type your first item
Press Enter to add a new line and keep typing
Continue until all items are entered
Click Save in the top right when you're done
Note: Write each item as a specific, actionable step. "Upload signed contract to Files" is more useful to your team than "contract."
4. Set as Default for All New Projects
The Set as default for all new projects toggle controls whether a checklist is automatically applied to every new project you create.
When the toggle is OFF:
The checklist applies only to the current project
New projects will not automatically include it
When the toggle is ON:
Every new project created after this point will automatically include this checklist
Existing projects are not affected
Use this toggle carefully. Only enable it for checklists that genuinely belong on every single project. Project-specific checklists should stay off.
5. Save a Checklist as a Template
Once you've built a checklist worth reusing, save it as a template so your team can start from it on future projects.
Open the checklist
Click the save-as-template icon in the top right (between the delete icon and the Edit button)
The Manage Templates panel opens
Click Convert to Template
The current checklist is saved as a reusable template
From the Manage Templates panel you can also:
Drag to reorder templates to control the order they appear when creating new checklists
Click Sort A-Z to alphabetize the list
Toggle Active on or off for each template
Click Edit Template to update a template's content
Delete a template using the delete icon
6. Check Off Items
Open the checklist
Click the checkbox next to each item your team has completed
The progress bar at the top of the Checklist Items section updates as items are checked off
Completed items stay visible so your team can see what's done and what still needs attention.
7. Edit an Existing Checklist
Open the checklist you want to update
Click Edit in the top right
Update the title, description, default toggle, or any checklist items
Click Save
Note: Editing a checklist on a project only updates that specific checklist. If you want the change to carry forward to future projects, update the template through Manage Templates as well.
Best Practices
Build templates for anything you repeat - if you're building the same checklist on more than one project, save it as a template the first time and start from it on every job after that.
Press Enter to move fast - type all your items in one sitting and edit afterward rather than stopping between each one.
Write items as specific actions - "Send kickoff email to client with schedule attached" is actionable; "kickoff" is not.
Be deliberate with the default toggle - only turn it on for checklists that truly belong on every project, not for scope that's specific to one job type.
Use multiple checklists per project - break kickoff, midpoint, and closeout into separate checklists so each one stays short and scannable.
Keep templates up to date - when your process changes, update the template so every future project picks up the improvement automatically.
Common Questions
Q: Where does the Checklists module live?
A: Inside each lead or project. Click Projects in the left sidebar, open the record, then click Checklists in the module top bar.
Q: Can I have more than one checklist on the same project?
A: Yes. Create as many as the project needs. Keeping them separated by phase - kickoff, safety, closeout - makes each list easier to work through.
Q: What does "Set as default for all new projects" actually do?
A: When enabled, every new project created after that point will automatically include the checklist. Existing projects are not affected.
Q: How do I save a checklist as a template?
A: Open the checklist and click the save-as-template icon in the top right to open the Manage Templates panel, then click Convert to Template.
Q: If I edit a checklist on a project, does it update the template?
A: No. Editing a checklist on a project only changes that specific checklist. To update the template, open Manage Templates and click Edit Template.
Q: If I update a template, does it update checklists already on existing projects?
A: No. Template changes only apply to new checklists created from that template going forward. Checklists already in use on projects won't automatically reflect the update - you'd need to edit those individually.
Q: Can I reorder my templates?
A: Yes. Open Manage Templates and drag templates into the order you want. You can also click Sort A-Z to alphabetize the list. The order here is the order templates appear when creating a new checklist.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
Rebuild the same checklist on every new project | Save it as a template once and start from it every time |
Enable "Set as default" for project-specific checklists | Only use the default toggle for checklists that belong on every single project |
Write vague items like "kickoff" or "closeout" | Write specific actions like "Send kickoff email to client with project schedule" |
Assume template edits flow to existing project checklists | Update each in-progress project's checklist directly if you need changes applied now |
Put every step into one enormous checklist | Split by phase so each list stays short and easy to scan |
Forget to update templates when your process changes | Edit the template in Manage Templates so future projects pick up the improvement |