How to configure and use custom checklist statuses with Multiple Checklists for Jira

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Not all things are either black or white — and the same goes for Jira checklist items. If your only options are to mark them as done or not done, you lose the nuance of real progress. That’s where custom checklist statuses come in. They let you reflect the true state of each item, whether it's in progress, blocked, under review, or nearly ready — making your workflow much more transparent.

Item statuses in Multiple Checklists for Jira

Statuses are essential in communicating where a task stands, so why treat checklist items any differently? It can be frustrating to spend time working on a tricky item and still have no way to signal that it’s almost done or needs input.

With Multiple Checklists for Jira, you won't encounter this problem ever again. The app allows you to set custom checklist statuses to increase transparency of your work and make it easier for everyone in your team.

From now on, you can let others know that the item is in progress, blocked or N/A so that every party involved is on the same page. Besides these default statuses, you can come up with your own to ensure that the communication over items fits your unique workflow.

Custom statuses don’t just improve visibility — they can also play a role in enforcing workflow rules. For example, you can block Jira issue transitions when checklist items are not completed, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.

How to configure and use custom checklist statuses in Jira

As a Jira Administrator, go to Jira Settings → Apps → Checklists → Checklist item statuses to see a list of all the currently configured checklist item statuses. From here, you can decide to edit any of the existing statuses, delete them, or add a brand new one.

Editing checklist item statuses

Multiple Checklists for Jira come with three default statuses: IN PROGRESS, BLOCKED, and N/A. Each of them can be edited or deleted as needed, or new ones can be added.

For each of the existing statuses, administrators can configure its name, color, and the effect that the status has on the completeness of the checklist item. The color helps your users better understand the meaning of the status. For example, blue usually indicates that something is in progress in Jira, while green suggests that something has been finished. You can give your statuses any name you like and assign them any color you wish. 

Setting item states

The last option - “Item state” - is used to specify what happens once the given status is selected. The checkbox for the item can either be checked or unchecked with the selection of the status. For example, items with the status N/A (Not applicable) can be automatically marked as checked, so that the whole checklists shows up as finished, even if there are items that are marked N/A.

Deleting checklist item statuses

Administrators can also choose to delete any of the statuses. If a status is deleted it will no longer be available as an option for users. All checklist items that had the status assigned will have that status cleared. 

Please note that this action is irreversible. You can, of course, always add a new status with the same name again, but this won’t restore the status of the items that had it when it was deleted.

Assigning statuses to checklist items

When checklist item statuses are enabled, users can assign a status to each of the checklist items. Only one status can be assigned per checklist item. Users will only be able to pick a status from the list of defined statuses, that can be edited as explained above. The status can be selected and displayed next to the item. Moreover, upon the status selection, the checkbox will also be appropriately updated, as set in the config. In our example, the N/A status is meant to mark the item as completed.

Disabling checklist item statuses

You can also choose to disable checklist item statuses altogether which will stop them from displaying next to the items and will also hide the ability to select the current status. See the picture below for a comparison between disabled checklist item statuses (left) and enabled checklist item statuses (right):

Summary

Custom checklist statuses in Multiple Checklists for Jira bring flexibility and clarity to your workflows. Instead of relying solely on done/not done options, you can define custom statuses that fit your process. These labels help teams communicate progress more accurately and can even enforce workflow rules. With simple configuration and intuitive use, they make your Jira checklists more powerful and transparent.

Check our documentation to learn more.