Checklists That Cannot Be Skipped
Define the steps your process requires once, have them attach to the right work automatically, and stop items being marked complete while required boxes are still unticked.
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What is the checklist framework?
The Orangescrum checklist framework is more than a list of ticks on a task. You define checklist groups, such as Acceptance Criteria or Definition of Done, fill them with reusable templates, and map each group to the work item types it applies to. Every new epic, story, task, defect, or test case then arrives with the right steps already on it. A completion rule can then hold an item open until the required boxes are ticked, and every override is recorded with the reason the person gave.
Why quality drifts
A checklist with a rule behind it
01Framework
Grouped, not one flat list
Items sit in named groups such as Acceptance Criteria and Definition of Done, alongside any group you create yourself.
Reusable templates
Save a group of steps once, clone it to make a variant, and manage the lot centrally for the whole organisation.
Attach by itself
Mark a template auto attach and it lands on every new item of the types you pick, so nobody has to remember it.
Ten work item types
Epics, features, stories, tasks, defects, test scenarios, test cases, test defects, projects, and programmes can all carry checklists.
Mark a group required
Say which groups are required for each work item type, which is what the completion rule then enforces.
Preview before you create
See exactly which checklists a new item of a given type will arrive with, before you create it.
02Work item
Tick and track progress
Every group shows how many of its items are done, so the state of the work is visible without opening each group.
Add, edit, and reorder
Change the items on a single work item and drag them into the order the work actually happens. Cloud edition only.
Add or create a group
Pull an existing group onto one item, or create a custom group just for it, if your admin allows it. Cloud edition only.
Rename or hide a group
Rename a group on one item, or suppress one that does not apply, without changing it for everyone else. Cloud edition only.
Give an item an owner
Assign a single checklist item to a person, so a step inside a task has a name against it. Cloud edition only.
Copy a checklist across
Copy a checklist from one item to another rather than retyping the same steps.
AI drafted items
Ask AI to draft acceptance criteria from the item's own title and description, or to review what is already there. Cloud edition only.
03Gate
Three levels to choose from
Per work item type, pick no gate, the Definition of Done group only, or every group marked required.
It says what is missing
The status change is refused and the outstanding items are listed, rather than failing with a vague message.
Who may override it
Overrides can be switched off entirely, limited to the company owner, limited to named roles, or open to anyone with the bypass permission.
A written reason every time
An override always requires a reason, and the reason is stored with the items that were still open.
Who may tick an item
A grant matrix decides which roles can complete checklist items on which work item types.
04Reporting
Compliance seven ways
See how often required checklists were finished, by project, assignee, team, project member, team member, role, or role group.
A full audit trail
Every checklist event is recorded with who did it and when, and Cloud also stores the before and after values.
Retention you set
Keep audit history for anything from 24 to 120 months, with a scheduled job that purges what is past it.
Export the audit
Download the audit trail as CSV when compliance, a customer, or an auditor asks for it.
On the task timeline
Checklist activity appears in the task's own activity feed, next to comments and field changes. Cloud edition only.
05Admin
Eight separate permissions
Create, edit, and delete checklists, create, edit, and delete groups, complete items, and bypass enforcement are all controlled separately.
How to set it up
Checklists for different kinds of work
Which edition includes what
| Capability | CloudManaged SaaS | Self-HostedOn-premise / private cloud | Open SourceCommunity Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple checklist on a task | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Checklist groups and reusable templates | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto attach templates by work item type | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Checklists on all ten work item types | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Required groups per work item type | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Preview what a new item will get | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Three level completion rule | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Override policy and mandatory reason | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Who may complete items, by role and type | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Compliance report across seven dimensions | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Audit trail, retention, and CSV export | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Eight checklist permissions | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Completion blocked until required items are done | ✓ | Scrum board only | ✗ |
| Add, edit, and reorder items on a work item | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Add or create a group on a single work item | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Rename or hide a group on one work item | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Assign a checklist item to a person | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Audit trail with before and after values | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Checklist activity on the task timeline | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| AI suggested checklist items | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Checklist tools over the MCP server | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Checklist FAQ
What is a checklist in Orangescrum?
A checklist is a group of small steps carried on a work item, such as acceptance criteria on a story or a Definition of Done on a task. The groups and their items come from templates you define once for the organisation, so the same steps appear on the same kinds of work every time.
Which kinds of work can carry a checklist?
Ten types: epics, features, stories, tasks, defects, test scenarios, test cases, test defects, projects, and programmes. You map each group to the types it applies to, so a QA checklist can land on test cases without cluttering every task.
How is a checklist item different from a subtask?
A checklist item is a tick box, not a piece of work. It has no due date, it cannot be time logged, it has no comments of its own, and it never appears on the Kanban board or in your task reports. If a step needs an owner, a date, and tracking, make it a subtask instead. In the Cloud edition a checklist item can be assigned to a person, but it still carries none of the rest.
Can a checklist stop a task being marked complete?
Yes. An admin sets a rule per work item type: no gate, only the Definition of Done group, or every required group. When the rule is not met the status change is refused and the outstanding items are listed. Cloud applies the gate on every path that closes work, including the task itself, the Kanban board, the Scrum board, and project completion. Self-Hosted applies it on the Scrum board and backlog today, and marks the required groups everywhere else.
Can someone override the gate?
Only if you allow it. Overrides can be switched off entirely, limited to the company owner, limited to named roles, or open to anyone holding the bypass permission. A written reason is always required, and every override is recorded in the audit trail with that reason and the items that were still open.
Can I control who ticks an item?
Yes. A grant matrix decides which roles are allowed to complete checklist items on which work item types, so a step that means sign off is only tickable by the people who can sign off.
Can I reuse a checklist?
Yes. Save it as a template and attach it to any work item. Mark the template auto attach and it lands on every new item of the types you chose. You can clone a template to make a variant, and you can preview exactly what a new item of a given type will arrive with.
Are templates set up per project or per organisation?
Per organisation. Checklist groups and templates belong to the company, and you control where they land by mapping each group to work item types rather than to individual projects.
What reporting is there?
A compliance report shows how often required checklists were actually finished, broken down by project, assignee, team, project member, team member, role, or role group. Alongside it, every checklist event is written to an audit trail you can keep for 24 to 120 months, export as CSV, and have purged automatically once it ages out.
Can AI write the checklist for me?
In the Cloud edition, yes. AI reads the work item's own title and description and proposes acceptance criteria or Definition of Done items. If the group already has items it reviews those instead and points out what is missing or duplicated. Nothing is saved until you confirm which suggestions to keep, and the applied items are tagged as coming from AI. This is a Cloud only feature.
Which editions include the checklist framework?
Cloud and Self-Hosted both include the groups, templates, auto attach, required groups, completion rules, the override policy, compliance reporting, and the audit trail. Cloud goes further: it applies the completion gate on every path that closes work, lets you add, edit, and reorder items on a single work item, add or create a group on one item, rename or hide a group there, assign checklist items to a person, keeps before and after values in the audit, mirrors checklist activity into the task timeline, offers AI suggestions, and exposes checklists over the MCP server. The open source Community Edition has a simple checklist on a task and none of the framework.
Make your standard part of the work
The checklist framework is included in Cloud and Self-Hosted. Every plan includes unlimited users.