How to Create a Kanban Board in Google Sheets for free and manage your own productivity.

Kanban boards are perfect for attention management, so you always know what’s in the queue, in progress, and completed. Nowadays many offer paid or free kanban templets or freemium software.

We can create our own using google sheets for free.

Building a Kanban board in Google Sheets!

Step 1: Create each status column?

In the first row, add each step in your work process as its own header cell:?Backlog,?To Do,?In Progress, and?Done. If there are other statuses in your workflow, add those in too!

Next, highlight a group of cells (including the header columns) and from the menu bar, click?Borders?and select?All?Borders.?

Step 2: Format the cells

Step 3: Change the background colour of all headers

Then, select a header cell and in the menu bar, click?Fill colour?and choose a light background colour. Repeat this step for the rest of your header cells.?

Step 4: Create a task card?

Now let’s create a task card template you’ll use to copy and paste for new tasks! In a cell outside of your Kanban board, type the information required, for example:?

Task Name:

Description:

Due date:

Time estimate:

Assignee:

Priority:

Pro Tip:?Google Sheets is missing drag-and-drop functionality to easily move tasks through a workflow, so use one cell for each task card. Otherwise, you’ll risk leaving behind any cells you didn’t copy and paste as you move your task card from one status to the next. In Google Spreadsheets, here’s how to add a new line within the cell:

• Mac keyboard shortcut:?Command?+?Enter
• Windows, Linux, Chromebook keyboard shortcut:?Ctrl?+?Enter

Step 5: Save the Kanban Board Template in your Google Drive

Columns??Check. Task cards??Check. So let’s save this a template!

Rename your spreadsheet title and add the word “Template”. Click the folder icon next to the title and move your template into an existing folder in your Google Apps Drive or create a new Template folder!?

Implementing this helps me prioritise and manage work weekly basis.

If you enjoyed this article or find it helpful do let me know.