Checklists inside every Jira issue, with templates, a workflow validator and JQL search. Each checklist is saved on the issue itself, and the app runs entirely on Atlassian.
Why "native"?
Saved on the issue. Each checklist is stored as a Jira issue property, not on our servers. It moves with the issue and is included in Jira backups and site migrations.
Runs on Atlassian. The app is built on Atlassian Forge and is eligible for the Runs on Atlassian programme. Your data never leaves your Atlassian site, and there are no external servers of ours to go down.
The same features on every plan. There is no item limit by plan. A checklist can hold up to 200 items.
Features
Checklist on every issue. In the right-hand sidebar, or below the description. Tick items, edit them in place, drag to reorder, and see progress on a bar.
Quick entry. Press Enter to add an item. Paste several lines to add many at once.
Formatting. Headings, required items, optional numbering, links, **bold** and `code`.
Templates. Admins write reusable checklists with a live preview. Anyone who can edit an issue can add one from the checklist.
Auto-apply. A template can be added to new issues automatically, for chosen issue types and projects.
Workflow validator. "Checklist is complete" blocks a transition while required items are open.
JQL. Search by checklistOpen, checklistRequiredOpen, checklistTotal and checklistComplete.
Board cards. A read-only "Checklist progress" field shows 3/5, or ✓ 5/5 when complete.
Live updates. While an issue is open, other people's changes appear within a few seconds. Two people editing the same checklist don't overwrite each other.
Getting started
Install Native Checklists for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace.
Open any issue. Checklist is in the right-hand sidebar. To show it below the description instead, use the issue's Apps button and choose Checklist.
A Jira admin opens Apps → Manage apps → Native Checklists settings to:
create templates, for example your team's Definition of Done;
turn on auto-apply for a template, and pick its issue types and projects;
optionally, hide the checklist on some issue types.
To show progress on a board, go to Board settings → Card layout and add the Checklist progress field.
To block a transition, edit the workflow, select the transition and add the validator Checklist is complete.
How it works
Typing and pasting items
Each line is one item. The same format works when adding items, pasting a list and writing a template.
You type
You get
# Release
A heading
* Release notes updated
A required item
[x] Changelog merged
An item that is already ticked
- item, 1. item or [ ] item
A plain item
Inside an item, [label](https://...) and bare web addresses become links.
Required items and the workflow validator
Mark an item as required with the * button, or start its line with * . The validator blocks a transition while any required item is open. Admins can instead treat every item as required, under Options.
If the app itself has an error, the validator lets the transition through, so a fault in the app never locks people out of their workflow.
Templates and auto-apply
An auto-apply template is added just after an issue is created, however it was created: the Create button, email, automation or the API. Pick issue types and projects for each template; ticking none means all. If several templates match a new issue, their items are added one after another. Auto-apply never replaces a checklist that is already on the issue.
Searching with JQL
JQL
Finds
checklistOpen > 0
Issues with unticked items
checklistRequiredOpen > 0
Issues with open required items
checklistComplete = yes
Fully ticked checklists
checklistTotal > 0
Issues that have a checklist
Who can do what
The app uses each person's own Jira permissions.
Anyone who can see an issue can see its checklist.
Anyone who can edit an issue can change its checklist and add a template to it.
Only Jira admins can change templates and settings.
FAQ
Is there a limit on items?
A checklist can hold up to 200 items, and an item up to 500 characters. That limit is the same on every plan. It keeps the checklist within the size Jira allows for an issue property. You can have up to 100 templates.
Does the app record who ticked an item?
No. The app stores no personal data, so there is no per-item history of who did what.
Where is our data stored?
Checklists are stored on your Jira issues. Templates and settings are stored on Atlassian's Forge platform. See the privacy policy.
What happens if our licence lapses?
Checklists become read-only until a Jira admin renews the licence. Nothing is deleted.