Jira Checklists: Our Ultimate Guide with Templates, Tips & Tools

Tasks or stories in Jira often involve multiple steps—whether it’s a software feature, onboarding a new hire, or preparing a sales presentation. If some of those steps aren’t captured in the Jira issue, it’s easy for one to slip through the cracks.

That’s where a Jira checklist makes the difference. A checklist is simply a reusable set of items to be done or remembered. By standardizing routines, checklists ensure nothing is missed and work is completed consistently, no matter who’s handling it.

In this guide, we’ll explore why checklists in Jira are so useful, what checklist functionality Jira provides natively, and how to make and use checklists in Jira.

Key Insights on Jira Checklists

• Jira lacks a true built-in checklist feature – native options like Action Items, checkbox fields, and subtasks can mimic checklists but are limited, inflexible, and not ideal for repeatable processes.

• Didit Checklists for Jira goes beyond native functionality – it enables reusable templates, recurring checklists, and cross-platform use in Jira and Confluence, with support for external collaborators via browser or mobile.

• Checklists improve consistency and efficiency across teams – from software development (Definition of Done) to HR onboarding and sales processes, standardized checklists reduce errors, save time, and ensure high-quality outcomes.

What is a Jira checklist?

Don’t confuse a to-do list with a checklist—they serve very different purposes. A to-do list tells you what needs to be done. A checklist tells you how to do it. In Jira, your backlog or list of issues functions like a to-do list: it shows the work that needs to be tackled. But inside each issue, you often need a checklist for Jira to guide the steps required to complete the task correctly. For example, take the to-do list item: “Onboard new employee.” That’s your Jira issue. Your Jira smart checklist for onboarding might include:

• Collect signed contract and personal documents
• Set up accounts and system access
• Prepare workstation and equipment
• Schedule orientation and training sessions
• Assign mentor or buddy

This illustrates the real strength of checklists: they act as repeatable templates for recurring processes, ensuring nothing critical is missed. Whereas to-do lists are usually created on the fly and change task by task, checklists build consistency and high-quality outcomes across your team. That’s their core value.

How to add a checklist in Jira

Is there a built-in Jira checklist? Mmmm. Not really. It’s sort-of possible, sort-of not. There are a few ways to get around the system:

Action Items in Jira

Action Items in Jira are Atlassian’s new built-in way to handle checklists directly inside issues. Introduced in late 2024, they let teams add simple checkbox-style to-dos in fields like the Description or Comments—no plugins required. This makes it easy to capture quick steps, reminders, or meeting follow-ups right where the work happens, without creating extra subtasks. While Action Items provide a fast and lightweight way to build a checklist for Jira, they’re limited: you can’t assign them to teammates, track them with JQL, or automate them with Jira rules. Check out our quick explanation on Jira Action Items:  

Jira checkbox custom field

Jira includes a checkbox custom field that can mimic a checklist, but it’s highly limited. It only works in edit mode—in view mode, checked and unchecked items don’t display properly, so it fails as a real checklist. Because it’s applied at the issue-type level, you also can’t create unique checklists per issue. This makes it impractical for actual checklist use. Seeing completed and pending items is critical for context, yet the checkbox field behaves no differently than a multiple-select list. Since built-in checklists in Jira are just custom fields, you can’t mix and match different checklists within a single ticket.

Jira subtasks

Jira subtasks aren’t an ideal replacement for a checklist, though many teams use them this way because Jira lacks a proper built-in checklist feature. If your main tasks in Jira are your to-do list (what needs to be done), then subtasks can act a bit like a checklist (how to do it). For example, you could create a Definition of Done Jira checklist using subtasks, where each subtask represents a criterion that must be met before moving the issue to “Done.” But this approach is often over-engineered—you don’t really need a full ticket for every small step. Think about HR onboarding: you wouldn’t want separate subtasks for “collect signed contract,” “create email account,” and “schedule orientation.” Those are better suited to a checklist, not standalone subtasks. The bigger issue is that checklists are meant to be repeatable, while subtasks aren’t. Every time you need the same steps, you’d have to manually recreate the subtasks. Since Jira has no built-in issue template functionality for preconfigured subtasks, you’d need an external template app to achieve that.

What are the benefits of checklists for Jira?

Checklists in Jira help teams stay organized by breaking complex tasks into clear, trackable steps. Instead of relying on memory, teams can follow a structured list that ensures nothing gets missed.

• Consistency and quality: Developers use Definition of Done checklists to confirm a feature meets all criteria before moving an issue to “Done.” HR managers rely on onboarding checklists to cover every required step for new hires.
• Efficiency: Reusable templates save time, reduce repeated explanations, and keep processes consistent across tasks.
• Visibility: A checklist shows progress at a glance—how many items are complete and what’s still pending—without digging through long comment threads.

In short, Jira checklists reduce errors, standardize workflows, and make collaboration smoother.

How to create a checklist in Jira

While Jira doesn’t natively have the checklist, you can access this feature with an add-on from the Atlassian Marketplace.

You can try Didit Checklists for Jira. Didit is more flexible than a built-in Jira smart checklist, because it works both inside and outside Jira. For truly repeatable work, you don’t always want to be logging into Jira or making fresh Jira tickets. Sometimes you just want a checklist.

With Didit, you can build a collection of reusable checklists for adding to Jira issues or working with outside of Jira. And you can enable non-Jira users to create checklists and checklist templates too.

Once Didit is installed, you can build checklists either inside a Jira issue or from the Didit hub. The core options are the same in both places:

• Write from scratch directly in the issue or hub.
• Copy and paste a list (from a document or issue description).
• Generate with AI to get suggestions for checklist items.
• Use templates: apply an existing one, customize it, or save your own as a new template.

Inside a Jira issue, you’ll find the Didit – Checklist panel. Outside an issue, go to the Didit hub → Manage checklists → Create checklist.

Our documentation has more information about how to create a new checklist in a Jira issue.

How to create Jira checklist templates

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be able to tweak a checklist that’s based on a template when circumstances change. A good Jira checklist app should give you the freedom to do this easily, like Didit does.

Didit lets you make checklists outside of Jira issues, too, so you don’t have to clutter up your instance with new issues every time you need one. The same goes for checklist templates.

In addition, you can make non-Jira users into template managers, which enables them to create and edit templates without logging into Jira.

How to create a checklist template in a Jira issue

Once you have created and saved a Didit checklist in a Jira issue, you can turn that checklist into a checklist template and add it to your instance. It will then be available to be selected in other Jira issues.

Our documentation has more detail about how to create a checklist template in a Jira issue.

How do you make recurring checklists in Jira?

Once you’ve set up a routine with Jira checklists, the next step is making that routine easy to maintain. Ideally, the same checklist should be generated automatically on a regular basis.

Native Jira (Automation Workaround)

If your checklists are tied to issues, the only way to automate them natively is through Jira Automation. You can configure rules to create new issues every day, week, or month.

The downside: because the checklist lives inside the issue, every generated checklist also creates a new Jira ticket. Each of these has to move through the full workflow—from To Do → In Progress → Done. For simple, repeatable checks (like confirming that 10 servers are running each morning), this adds unnecessary admin work.

Using Checklist Apps like Didit

This is why many teams prefer a Jira checklist app that supports recurring checklists directly. With Didit, for example, checklists and templates exist independently of Jira issues. This means you can:

• Automate checklist creation on a daily, weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, annual, or biannual basis.

• Assign one or multiple users to the checklist, with notifications when a checklist is created or updated.

• Prevent duplicate checklists from being generated within the same time interval.

Because the checklists don’t rely on issue creation, you avoid cluttering your instance with repetitive tickets and save time otherwise wasted on moving them through workflows.

Recurring checklists let you maintain reliable routines without adding Jira bloat. Didit makes them easy to schedule, share, and track—helping your team stay consistent without overcomplicating your project.

How can you use Jira checklist templates?

You may already know what Jira checklist templates you want in your instance, perhaps because you’re using them already in another platform. In which case, you can copy and paste them into Didit and get going. However, if you’re instituting a new routine in your organization, or trying to make an existing one more refined and reliable, you may want to look at some template examples for inspiration. Didit for Jira comes with a bank of checklist template examples that you can add to your instance. They span a range of fields and industries, from software development to HR to finance. Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Jira definition of done checklist template

In Didit, you’ll find a Definition of Done (DoD) template that sets out criteria that should be met before a piece of work can be considered done. The DoD is a perfect candidate for becoming a checklist template because you want everyone to apply the same criteria to ensure consistency in the work being delivered. If everyone interprets DoD differently, you’ll end up with conflict, misunderstandings, and variable quality in your releases, leading to negative user experiences. Didit’s DoD template is just designed to act as a guide. A software development team should discuss and agree upon their own definition of done, after which they can customize the Didit template to fit their requirements.    

Jira onboarding checklist template

Another template that comes with Didit is an employee onboarding checklist. Onboarding new hires is one of the main functions of an HR department. Because HR follows the same steps with every new hire, a checklist ensures a smooth onboarding process for both HR and new employees. It also guarantees that all recruits receive the same knowledge, tools, and experiences.    

Jira sales presentation checklist template

Didit offers a sales presentation checklist template so that companies can standardize how they pitch their products/services to new clients. A checklist helps new sales representatives understand and adopt best sales practices quickly, and leads to more consistent results and faster deals.  

Bottom Line

Jira doesn’t provide proper checklist functionality out of the box. Subtasks and checkbox fields can serve as workarounds, but they aren’t practical for repeatable processes or for teams that need structured, reusable checklists.

That’s why most organizations turn to an Atlassian Marketplace app. Didit Checklists for Jira goes further by enabling checklists both inside Jira issues and in the Didit hub, with the added benefit of cross-platform use in Confluence. Checklists can be shared with external users through a browser or mobile app, while template managers—even outside Atlassian—can create and manage standardized lists via the web portal.

With recurring checklists, industry-specific templates, and support across functions from software development to HR and logistics, Didit helps teams build reliable, high-quality routines without cluttering Jira with extra issues. If you’re ready to take checklists in Jira (and beyond) seriously, try Didit for free on the Atlassian Marketplace or book a personal demo today.

If you’re looking to implement checklists in your Jira, and beyond it, book a personal demo of Didit or trial the app for free on the Atlassian Marketplace.