Columns
Columns are the stages your work passes through. Each column has a name, a colour and a column type. The type decides whether tasks move in and out automatically.
Default columns
Section titled “Default columns”Every new board starts with seven columns, wired up for a typical pull request workflow:
| Column | Type | What happens here |
|---|---|---|
| Backlog | Normal | Ideas and work that hasn’t started. |
| In Progress | Normal | Work someone is actively doing. |
| PR Request | Pull Request | Work that’s waiting for review. Tasks here must have a linked PR. |
| Approved | PR Approved | Tasks arrive here when their PR is approved. |
| Address Issues | Address Issues | Tasks arrive here when a reviewer requests changes. |
| Closed | PR Closed | Tasks arrive here when their PR is closed without being merged. |
| Merged | PR Merged | Tasks arrive here when their PR is merged. |
You can rename, recolour, reorder or delete any of these.
Column types
Section titled “Column types”Choose a column’s type under Column Type when you add or edit it.
| Type | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Normal Column | A plain list. Tasks only move when someone drags them. |
| Pull Request Column | Tasks need a linked pull request before they can be moved in. When a task’s PR is reopened, the task comes back here. |
| PR Approved Column | Receives tasks automatically when their pull request is approved. |
| Address Issues Column | Receives tasks automatically when a reviewer requests changes. |
| PR Closed Column | Receives tasks automatically when their pull request is closed without merging. |
| PR Merged Column | Receives tasks automatically when their pull request is merged. |
Column headers show a small icon for their type, so you can tell at a glance which columns are automated. Hover over the icon for a reminder of what it does.
For the full rules on when and how tasks move, see How tasks move automatically.
Adding a column
Section titled “Adding a column”- Select Add Column in the toolbar, or the + at the end of the board.
- Enter a name.
- Pick a Color.
- Choose a Column Type.
- Save.
Editing a column
Section titled “Editing a column”Select the pencil icon (Edit column) on the column header. You can change the name, colour and type. Select Update to save.
Making a column a pull request column
Section titled “Making a column a pull request column”- Edit the column.
- Under Column Type, choose Pull Request Column.
- Select Update.
From now on, any task moved into that column must include a GitHub pull request link.
Reordering columns
Section titled “Reordering columns”Drag a column by its header and drop it where you want it. The new order is saved for everyone on the board.
Resizing columns
Section titled “Resizing columns”Drag the right-hand edge of a column (Drag to resize column) to make it wider or narrower. This is handy for columns that hold long task titles.
Deleting a column
Section titled “Deleting a column”Select the bin icon (Delete column) on the column header and confirm.
Suggested layouts
Section titled “Suggested layouts”The default columns suit most teams, but here are some variations:
- Simple: Backlog → In Progress → PR Request → Merged. Delete Approved, Address Issues and Closed if your team only cares whether work has shipped.
- QA stage: add a normal Testing column after Merged for work that’s merged but not yet verified.
- Design first: add normal Design and Ready for Dev columns before In Progress.