Checklist Help Center

Set Up Your First Routine

A routine is for steps you repeat, such as cleaning the house every week. Set them up once, then create a fresh checklist each time you do the work.

In the web app, reusable routines are managed as templates. The mobile app calls them routines.

We'll use Weekly cleaning as our example.

1. Create reusable steps

  1. Open the Checklist web app and select Create.
  2. Enter Weekly cleaning.
  3. Select Start Blank.
  4. Choose Template instead of Checklist.
  5. Choose Checklist for a simple list, or Play if you prefer to follow the steps in order.
  6. Select Create.
Weekly cleaning with Template and Checklist selected and Create enabled

In the template editor, add:

  • Clear kitchen counters
  • Clean bathroom
  • Vacuum floors
  • Take out rubbish

These are the steps you'll reuse.

Saved Weekly cleaning template with its four reusable cleaning tasks and Run control

2. Start your first run

Select Run in the template. Review the checklist name, change it if you want, then select Run again to create the checklist.

Run Template dialog for Weekly cleaning with Run enabled

Checklist creates a new checklist from your template. Select View Checklist in the confirmation, then mark tasks complete as you clean.

New Weekly cleaning checklist created from the saved template, with the same four tasks

Next week, run the template again. You'll get another checklist with the original steps, without losing the record of this week's work.

3. Schedule it if you need to

For work that happens at a fixed time, open the template's automation area and create a schedule.

A schedule creates a fresh checklist automatically. You do not need a schedule if you'd rather start the work yourself.

Scheduling is available with Plus, Family, or Pro. You can also run the template manually without scheduling it. Free includes five lifetime template runs.

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