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Lists

Lists are workflow stages for cards. A standalone board has its own list set. Every board in a workspace uses the workspace's shared lists in the same order.

If a workspace has lists such as Intake, Active, Waiting, and Done, every board in that workspace follows that same workflow. That consistency makes Kanban, Table, My Cards, Team Cards, Calendar, and Work Done easier to compare across boards. A standalone board can use a completely different list set without affecting other work.

The Platform Delivery Table groups cards by shared workflow lists and shows Labels beside the reporting fields.

Open list settings​

  1. Open the workspace or standalone board.
  2. Go to Workspace settings or Board settings.
  3. Choose Lists.

The Lists settings page lets you manage:

  • Completed-card visibility.
  • List names.
  • List order.
  • List icons.
  • List colors.
  • List deletion.

Workspace list settings showing shared list rows, icons, colors, and completed-card visibility.

How lists work​

In a workspace, lists belong to the workspace rather than an individual board. On a standalone board, they belong only to that board.

When you add, rename, reorder, style, or delete a workspace list, that change applies across every board in the workspace. The same action on a standalone board affects only that board.

Use lists for workflow stages that should be shared by related boards:

WorkflowExample lists
Client deliveryIntake, Scoped, Active, Waiting, Delivered
Product workIdeas, Backlog, In Progress, Review, Shipped
SupportNew, Triage, Assigned, Waiting, Resolved
ContentIdeas, Drafting, Editing, Scheduled, Published
OperationsRequested, Assigned, Blocked, Complete

Avoid creating a list for a status that only matters on one board. A label or custom field is usually better for board-specific categories.

Completed-card visibility​

The Completed cards setting controls how long completed cards remain visible in active board and Global Work views.

Enter the number of days Kanera should continue showing completed cards in active views. The value can be from 0 to 365 days.

When the visibility window passes, completed cards are hidden from boards and Global Work by default. Use the Completed date-range filter to include selected completed work in the main views again. Completed cards do not become archived cards. Archived cards are a separate cleanup path and are permanently deleted after 30 days; see Completed Cards and Archived Cards.

For the full workflow, see Completed Cards.

Add a list​

Use the list creation row in Workspace settings -> Lists.

  1. Choose an icon.
  2. Choose a color, if useful.
  3. Enter the list name.
  4. Click Add list.

The list creation row in Workspace settings with icon, color, name, and Add list controls.

New lists are added to the workspace list set and become available on every board in that workspace.

Rename a list​

Click the list name to edit it.

  • Press Enter or click away to save.
  • Press Escape to cancel.

A list name being edited inline from the Lists settings page.

Because list names appear across boards, Table groups, Global Work, activity, and history, choose names that describe durable workflow stages.

Reorder lists​

Drag lists by the grip handle to change their order.

List order affects:

  • Kanban column order.
  • Table grouping order.
  • Global Work lane order.
  • Board and card movement flows.
  • Work Done list movement context.

Put the normal flow of work from left to right or top to bottom. For most workflows, that means intake or backlog lists first, active work in the middle, and completed or delivered lists last.

Set list icons​

Each list can have its own icon.

Icons help people recognize workflow stages quickly in:

  • Kanban columns.
  • Table groups.
  • My Cards and Team Cards.
  • Card movement context.
  • Work Done movement paths.

Good icon choices describe the stage:

ListIcon idea
IntakeInbox
PlanningClipboard
In ProgressProgress or hammer
WaitingClock
ReviewEye or checklist
DoneCircle check

The list icon picker open from a list row in Workspace settings.

Set list colors​

Each list can have a color.

Colors are useful when they communicate workflow meaning. For example:

  • Red or orange for blocked, escalated, or urgent stages.
  • Blue for active work.
  • Green for done or resolved stages.
  • Gray for backlog, parking lot, or archive-like stages.

Use color sparingly. If every list has a loud color, no list stands out.

The list color picker open from a list row in Workspace settings.

Delete a list​

Deleting a list removes it from the workspace.

Kanera asks for confirmation before deleting a list. Use this carefully because lists are shared across all boards in the workspace.

Before deleting a list, check whether active cards still use it. If the workflow has changed, move cards to the right replacement list first.

Good list design​

Lists should describe the path work moves through.

Good list names are:

  • Short.
  • Reusable across boards.
  • Clear to new team members.
  • Stable enough for reporting and history.

Avoid:

  • Lists that duplicate labels, such as Bug or Marketing.
  • Lists that duplicate custom fields, such as High Priority.
  • Lists that only one board understands.
  • Too many tiny states that make boards hard to scan.

When in doubt, keep lists broad and use labels or custom fields for extra detail.