How to Add a Checklist to a Jira Issue (Work Item): All Options Explained
Checklists are great for handling multi-step tasks, working with standard criteria (such the Definition of Done), and for many other use cases. They help you optimize time and easily standardize processes.
In this article, I explain how to:
- Create basic checklists with Jira’s native functionality
- Prepare feature-rich checklists with a third-party solution, Smart Checklist for Jira
- Turn checklists into reusable templates for your team
- Automatically add checklists to Jira work items
On top of that, I share free checklist templates for the Definition of Done, Definition of Ready, and Code Review.
Let’s see how to boost your team’s efficiency with handy checklists inside your Jira tasks.
What Types of Checklists Can You Use in Jira?
Generally speaking, a checklist is a structured list containing multiple steps to complete or parameters to check. So, instead of describing what needs to be done in a long text, you list concrete actions and mark them off as work moves forward.
In Jira, these lists can live directly inside the work item description section or appear in a separate checklist block below it. This depends on how they were created. You can add checklists of different types using different approaches:
- With Jira action items – a native feature offering basic checklist functionality.
- With Smart Checklist for Jira – a dedicated solution that allows you to create advanced checklists, reusable templates, and custom checklist automations.
Sometimes, Jira checklists are confused with Jira Checkbox. It’s a custom field that enables you to select one or more parameters from the pre-set dropdown list. Although it does have checkboxes, it’s not a full-fledged checklist that could be used to organize work step by step, so we won’t cover it here.
Two Ways to Add a Checklist to a Jira Issue
Method 1. Adding a Basic Checklist with Jira Action Items
This feature appeared relatively not so long ago, so many people don’t know about it. Jira action items were designed for quick note-taking during meetings. They allow you to list follow-up steps and action points directly inside the work item description. Alternatively, they can be used in comments.
The result is a lightweight checklist like the one below. As you can see, it only consists of checkboxes and the listed steps:
Jira doesn’t enable you to save them as templates for future use. This means action items only live inside that specific work item where you added them manually.
This approach works well for short, one-off task lists. You can update items on the fly, add new steps, and tick off completed actions. At the same time, action items are not very effective for other use cases, besides taking quick notes.
The limitations of Jira action items:
- No support for Jira automation rules
- No integration with Jira workflows or status changes
- No way to create reusable checklist templates
- No progress tracking, since items lack statuses (such as To Do or Under Review)
Where Can You Add Action Item Checklists and How to Do This?
Action items can be used in any Jira field that supports rich text, including the work item description and comments.
To create an action item, place your cursor in the text field and type /. From the formatting menu that appears, choose Action Item and start listing your steps.
A quicker option is to type [ ] - empty square brackets - and continue writing. Jira will automatically turn brackets into checkboxes.
These lightweight ToDo lists are especially helpful when you’re capturing meeting notes, leaving review comments, or outlining next steps.
However, to use checklists in Jira to the fullest and get a maximum efficiency boost, you will need more advanced features. For this purpose, you can use a dedicated checklist app from the Atlassian Marketplace.
Method 2. Creating Advanced Checklists With Smart Checklist by TitanApps
Smart Checklist is a solution that allows you to overcome the limitations of the native feature. It helps you create structured checklists that document multi-step processes. It also supports saving templates for recurring tasks and adding checklists to work items automatically.
For example, you can automatically add a Test Review checklist to all testing tasks or a Recruitment checklist to all hiring tasks:
As you can see, this checklist includes much more than just a list of steps with checkboxes. Here, each checklist item has a status (ToDo, InProgress, or your custom status). You can also add links and deadlines, tag people, use headers, and provide extra details in expandable sections, which are available for each individual checklist item. Moreover, Smart Checklist supports workflow integration and can be used with Automation for Jira.
All this allows you to organize your team’s work efficiently: reuse checklist templates for typical tasks, document recurring processes, and promote consistent quality standards.
This checklist is located in a separate section below the work item description. This makes it easier to monitor progress as work moves forward. Smart Checklist works with both Jira Cloud and Jira Data Center.
How to Add a Smart Checklist to Jira Tickets Step-by-Step
- Install Smart Checklist for Jira from the Atlassian Marketplace.
- Open your work item and navigate to the Smart Checklist section below the description block. If you don’t see it, click Apps under the work item summary (task title) and select Smart Checklist.
- Type your list in the Smart Checklist section or paste a ready checklist. To add checkboxes, start from a new line and type “-” in the beginning. Use the Markdown editor guide to customize your checklist.
How to Create Jira Checklist Templates
If your team has a lot of repetitive tasks or recurring processes, reusable checklist templates can save a lot of time. With a template, you don’t have to start from scratch every time. Instead, you can reuse the step-by-step plan that already worked well before.
This also makes it easier to share knowledge, stick to the same process across teams and projects, and promote best practices adoption.
Jira doesn’t support checklist templates out of the box, but you can create them using Smart Checklist for Jira.
Start by drafting a checklist you want to reuse. You can follow the step-by-step instructions from the previous section to prepare it. When the checklist is ready, open the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the Smart Checklist section of the work item. Choose Save as a template and give it a clear name.
Once saved, the template becomes available for reuse. You can add it to other Jira tickets manually from the same menu by selecting Import from a template and choosing the checklist you need. If required, templates can also be added automatically with Smart Checklists’ native functionality.
How to Automatically Add a Checklist to a Jira Issue (Work Item)
- Open a work item that already contains a Smart Checklist. Click the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the checklist section and select Manage Templates.
- Find the checklist template you want to assign automatically and expand it. If you want to assign the checklist to specific work item types (Jira issue types), navigate to the General tab and select the work types you need. If you want to set other conditions, open the Advanced settings in the panel on the right.
- Choose the condition(s) for adding the checklist. For example, you can add an Employee Evaluation Template to all new work items that contain “Evaluation” in their summary.
Once configured, the selected checklist template will be added automatically to all new work items that meet the defined conditions. Please note that already existing work items won’t be affected by this change.
For advanced scenarios, you can use Smart Checklist with native Automation for Jira. Please see this Automation Guide for more details.
Jira Checklist Examples and Free Checklist Templates
Our team prepared handy checklist templates that will be helpful to all agile teams that use Jira, regardless of whether you work with Scrum or Waterfall. You can take them as a basis and customize them to better match your processes.
Jira Checklist for the Definition of Done
This template lists the conditions that must be met before work can be considered completed. It gives the team a shared reference for quality expectations and helps apply the same standards across all tasks. By checking these points before delivery, teams reduce last-minute fixes and avoid issues that could have been caught earlier.
When the Definition of Done lives directly in Jira as a checklist, it becomes part of everyday work. Team members can review and complete each step as they go. Compared to keeping the DoD in Confluence or another external tool, this approach makes it harder to overlook requirements or skip important checks.
## Definition of Done
- **Code complete.** All code has been written and reviewed, and all necessary functionality has been implemented.
- **Code coverage.** All code has been tested and meets the required code coverage threshold.
- **Code quality.** Code has been written using the required standards, conventions, and best practices.
- **Integration.** Code has been integrated into the main branch, and all integration issues have been resolved.
- **Security:** The software has been tested for security vulnerabilities, and all issues have been resolved.
- **Performance:** The software has been tested for performance and scalability, and all issues have been resolved.
- **Peer review.** The code is reviewed by the peers.
- **System testing.** The software has been tested end-to-end, and all system tests have passed.
- **Regression testing.** All previously implemented functionality has been tested, and regression tests have been passed.
- **Documentation.** All necessary documentation has been written, reviewed, and approved, including user manuals, API documentation, and system documentation.
- **Acceptance testing.** The functionality has been demonstrated to the product owner or customer and has been approved.
- **Deployment:** The software has been successfully deployed to the production environment, and all deployment issues have been resolved.
Jira Checklist for the Definition of Ready
The DoR helps teams decide when a task is ready and can be taken into work. It checks that requirements are clear, dependencies are resolved, and the scope fits the planned timeframe. This reduces uncertainty once the task moves into an active sprint.
You can use this checklist as a starting point and adjust it to reflect how your team plans and refines tasks.
## Definition of Ready
- **Clear description.** The work item has a well-defined goal, purpose, and expected outcome.
- **Acceptance criteria.** Clear and testable acceptance criteria have been defined and agreed upon.
- **Dependencies identified.** All external dependencies (technical, business, or cross-team) have been documented and addressed.
- **Design and scope.** Required mockups, wireframes, or business rules are attached or linked.
- **Feasibility check.** The team has confirmed the work item is feasible within the planned timeframe.
- **Estimation.** The effort has been estimated using the agreed method (e.g., story points).
- **No blockers.** No unresolved issues are preventing the team from starting work.
- **Stakeholder alignment.** All relevant stakeholders have reviewed and approved the item.
- **Priority set.** The item is prioritized appropriately in the backlog.
- **Linked items.** Related epics, tasks, or subtasks are linked for context.
- **Team understanding.** The team agrees on the scope and is confident they can start work.
Jira Checklist for Code Review
This template lays out the key review steps that should be completed before code is approved. It translates team standards and review guidelines into practical actions that are easy to follow during day-to-day work. Instead of relying on memory or informal practices, reviewers can work through a consistent set of criteria each time.
Using a code review checklist helps teams stay aligned and concentrate on the most important quality aspects. It also reduces the risk of missed issues by making best practices visible and repeatable across reviews.
## Code review
- **Requirements.** Ensure that the code performs correctly and covers all requirements as described in the feature ticket.
> * Does this code change fulfill its intended purpose?
> * Does the code cover all requirements as described in the feature ticket?
> * Are there any unhandled edge cases or error scenarios?
- **Readability.** Make sure that the code is readable and easy to understand, suggest breaking up the code or reorganizing it to improve the readability for other developers.
> * Is the code easy to understand?
> * Are variable names and function names clear and descriptive?
- **Maintainability.** Evaluate the code for maintainability, making sure it is modular, reusable, and easy to modify and extend.
> * [DRY principle.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_repeat_yourself) Are there any duplicated sections of code that could be consolidated into reusable functions or classes?
> * Will this change add undesirable compile-time or run-time dependencies?
> * Are there any best practices, design patterns, or language-specific patterns that could enhance the code significantly?
> * Does this code follow the single responsibility principle?
- **Performance and Security.** Evaluate the code for performance and security.
> * Will this code change negatively impact system performance?
> * Is there a way to significantly improve the code’s performance?
> * Are sensitive data such as user data and credit card information being securely handled and stored?
- **Testability.** Evaluate the code for testability, ensuring that it can be easily tested and that any necessary unit tests or integration tests have been written.
> * Is the code testable?
> * Do the existing tests reasonably cover the code change?
> * Are there any other essential unit, integration, or system tests that should be added?
- **Documentation.** Verify that the code includes appropriate documentation, ensuring that it is clear, concise, and up to date.
> * Does the code include appropriate documentation?
> * Is the documentation clear, concise, and up-to-date?
- **DevOps**. Verify that all the steps needed to be done after the PR deploy are described.
> * Are there any risks related to the deployment of this PR in terms of production operation?
Bringing Checklists Into Everyday Jira Work
Jira supports more than one way to work with checklists, and each option is good for different circumstances. Some teams only need a quick way to capture follow-ups, while others rely on repeatable steps that must be applied consistently across many tasks.
Understanding these differences helps you avoid overcomplicating simple tasks or, on the contrary, relying on tools that are too limited for recurring processes.
Once you know how each solution behaves in real-life scenarios, it becomes easier to choose a setup that supports your team’s workflow. Start with what you need today, and adjust as your processes grow or change.
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Olga Cheban _TitanApps_
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