How to Assign Checklist Items and Track Who Did What
To assign checklist items to the people who actually do them, give every line of the task checklist its own owner. Checklist items in a Planfix task work as checkpoints: a short list of steps that must be done for the task to count as finished, with a name next to each step and a record of who checked it off. This three-and-a-half-minute video walks through the options Planfix offers for working with checklists, from the first item to a multilevel list and subtasks.
What you’ll learn: how to assign checklist items in Planfix
- Add a checklist while creating a task, while editing it or straight from a comment.
- Paste a ready list of steps and get a separate item for each line.
- Build a multilevel checklist with items and sub-items.
- Give an item its own assignee, so their name shows next to the step.
- Turn an item into a full subtask without losing it from the parent checklist.
- Choose what the checklist shows: everything, only unfinished items or only yours.
How to assign checklist items in Planfix, step by step
Step 1. Add the checklist items
Planfix offers several ways to add a checklist, and they all produce the same list. In the card of an existing task, type the text of an item and press Enter; while creating or editing a task, the checklist icon opens the same field. If the steps are written somewhere else, paste them in as separate lines and press Enter: Planfix creates one item per line. You can also add items while writing a comment, or turn an existing comment into an item with Add to checklist in its context menu.
Step 2. Build a multilevel checklist
A checklist can be multilevel, holding items and sub-items instead of one flat row of steps. Drag an item to the position where it belongs, or use the keyboard shortcuts while adding it to place it at the right level straight away.
Step 3. Give each item an assignee
When several people work on one task, an item can be assigned to a specific person, and their name appears next to it. If an item has assignees, only they or the task creator can mark it complete; if it has none, any task assignee can. A large task then splits into parts: each person closes their own items, and once they are done the task leaves their In progress list while the others keep working.
Step 4. Turn an item into a subtask
When a step grows beyond a single line, convert the item into a subtask from its menu. It becomes a full task with its own assignees, files, correspondence and data tags, and it stays visible in the parent task’s checklist.
Step 5. Choose what the checklist shows
You control the display of the checklist: show every item, only the unfinished ones, or only the items that concern you. Subtasks shown in the checklist can be hidden the same way, which turns a long list back into the few steps that are still open.
Step 6. Keep the checklist in a task template
For standard work that comes back regularly, put the checklist into the task template itself: tasks created from it arrive with their steps already written, which saves time and keeps routine work even in quality. The template also sets what a new line creates by default: a checklist item or a subtask.
Checklist items in comments: who did what and when
Marking an item done takes a single click, and Planfix records it in the task log, so you can always review who completed which item and when. Items and comments are also connected: you can add or check off items while writing a comment, and each item added that way carries a link back to its comment. Clicking the link highlights that comment in green in the feed, exactly where the item was added or closed.
Why a pilot runs the same checklist before every flight
The video opens with a pilot who knows the pre-flight procedures by heart and still runs a checklist before every flight of the day. The list keeps the result the same regardless of condition, mood or external factors. A checklist in a work task does the same two jobs: it keeps important steps from being skipped, and it breaks big work into steps that are easier to finish.
Who it’s for
- Team leads: split a large task into parts, give each item an owner and track both the parts and the whole.
- Project coordinators: turn what was agreed in the comments into checklist items that link back to the discussion.
- Process owners: keep standard tasks in templates with the checklist already filled in.
- Managers and reviewers: read the task log to see who closed which step and when, without asking anyone.
FAQ
Can I assign a checklist item to someone who is not a task assignee?
While creating a task or a template, yes: choose the user for the item and Planfix adds them to the task assignees. While editing an existing task, the list offers only current task assignees, so link the person to the task first.
Where can I see who completed a checklist item?
In the task log. Every click that marks an item done is recorded there, so you can review who completed which item and when.
What happens to a checklist item that becomes a subtask?
It turns into a full task with its own assignees, files, correspondence and data tags, and it remains visible in the checklist of the parent task.
Assign the steps of your next task
Pick one task where work regularly stalls between people, write its steps as checklist items and give each item an owner. Checklists are part of online task management software in Planfix: items are created, assigned and checked off in the task card itself. For the full tour of checklist settings and the Planner cards that show them, see task checklists in Planfix. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
