Kanban

Classic Kanban flow with a strict WIP limit — visualize work, reduce bottlenecks, and ship continuously.

About this template

A practical Kanban board that puts flow first: clear stages, quick visual scanning, and a hard WIP limit on In Progress to prevent overload.

Effort is tracked with T-shirt sizing (XS–XXL) — lightweight for planning, useful for prioritization.

Area tags let you slice work by team or discipline, and an Archived lane keeps history searchable without cluttering your Done.

What's inside

Columns included

⚪️ Backlog🔵 Todo🟠 In progress (WIP ≤ 7)🕒 Hold🟣 Review🟢 Done🟤 Archived

Task types

XSSMLXLXXL

Custom fields

OtherArea

Key features

  • True Kanban flow with WIP limit on active work
  • Visual, easy scanning of stages
  • Lightweight sizing for prioritization
  • Area tags for filtering
  • Archive lane for clean boards + history

Who is this template for?

  • Continuous delivery teams
  • Ops and support workflows
  • Mixed teams (dev + non-dev)
  • Teams drowning in "In Progress"
  • Anyone moving from chaos to flow

How to use this template

Use this board to visualize flow, limit active work, and improve throughput without adding heavy process on top of the team.

Step 1

Prepare work before it goes active

Keep upcoming tasks in Backlog and pull only ready items into Todo. Use XS to XXL sizing to make effort visible before work enters the system, so prioritization stays lightweight but explicit.

Step 2

Protect flow with WIP control

Treat In progress (WIP ≤ 7) as a real limit, not just a label. If work starts piling up there, pause new pulls, use Hold for blocked items, and push cards through Review instead of letting half-finished work accumulate.

Step 3

Finish cleanly and learn from the board

Move completed work into Done, then archive older items so the board stays easy to scan. Use the Area field to spot which team, function, or discipline is generating bottlenecks or consuming the most flow capacity.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a WIP limit and why use it?

It caps active work to reduce context switching and improve throughput.

Why is the WIP limit set to 7?

It's a practical starting point — tune based on team size and flow.

Can I use this outside engineering?

Yes! It works for marketing ops, support, HR, finance, and any continuous workflow.

How do I know if my WIP limit is too high?

If items sit "In Progress" for days with no movement, lower the limit and improve handoffs.

How do I handle urgent tickets?

Create an expedite lane or an Urgent type, but keep it rare; otherwise urgency loses meaning.

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