A checklist is a set of questions an inspector answers while carrying out an inspection. You group questions into sections, choose how each one is answered, and add logic so that follow-up questions only appear when they are relevant. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step.
Prefer to watch? See Checklist Manager in action in our recent Product Spotlight webinar.
Checklist Manager is an add-on. It isn't switched on by default, and only account admins can use it. If you can't see Checklists under Toolbox, it may not be enabled on your account yet. Some plans include it already. To add it, contact your Account Manager or our Support Team. See How to activate new features and functionality.
Step 1: Access Checklists
Go to Toolbox in the navigation bar.
Select Checklists from the menu.
Click the blue Create Checklist button in the top right of the page.
Step 2: Name Your Checklist
Title: the name of your checklist. Make it descriptive so it is easy to identify when you come to assign it to a record. Examples include 'Harness Pre-Use Check', 'Monthly Ladder Inspection', or 'Vehicle Daily Walkaround'.
Description: (Optional) explain what the checklist is for and when it should be used. Up to 200 characters.
Step 3: Build Your Sections
Sections group your questions together, for example one section per component, or one per area of the site. A blank section is already open and ready for you to fill in.
Give the section a name.
Add an optional description.
Then add your questions to it.
To reorder a section, use the up and down arrows in the top right of that section.
To remove a section, click Delete Section in the top right of that section.
Step 4: Add a Question
Click Ask a Question.
Choose the question type. The type sets how the inspector answers, and it also determines which logic conditions are available to you later, so it is worth choosing deliberately.
Not sure which to pick? See Checklist Question Types Explained for examples of each and how to use them.
Available Question Types
Each type suits a different kind of answer.
True or False
A yes or no answer. Best for pass and fail checks, and the most useful type for opening up follow-up questions.
Number
A numeric answer. Best for counts, measurements and readings, where you may want to act on a threshold.
Text
A free-text answer. Best for descriptions, locations and notes, where the answer can't be reduced to a fixed choice.
Date
A date answer. Best for manufacture, service and expiry dates, where you may want to act on whether a date falls before or after a certain point.
Multiple choice
A choice from a list of answers you define, each with a Positive, Neutral or Negative sentiment. Best where there is a fixed set of outcomes rather than a simple yes or no, such as Good / Fair / Poor.
Step 5: Make a Question Required
Tick User must answer this question on any question that has to be answered before the inspection can be submitted.
A question that only appears because of logic can still be required. It only has to be answered if it is shown to the inspector.
Step 6: Add Logic to a Question
Logic lets a checklist react to what the inspector actually finds. You set a condition on a question, and the question underneath it is only asked when that condition is met.
In the Logic area of a question, build the rule as a sentence. On a True or False question, for example:
If the answer is No, then Ask a Question.
So a ladder inspection can ask whether the rungs are secure and undamaged, and only ask which rung is affected when the answer is No.
Available Logic Conditions
The conditions you can choose from depend on the type of question the rule is set on.
True or False conditions:
Yes
No
Filled
Not filled
Number conditions:
Set
Unset
Equals
Does not equal
Greater than
Greater than or equal to
Less than
Less than or equal to
Because Number questions include threshold conditions, a checklist can respond to a value rather than just to whether something was answered. For example, "How many strands are frayed?" can be set to ask for a description when the answer is greater than 3.
Text conditions:
Set
Unset
Equals
Does not equal
Contains
Date conditions:
Set
Unset
On
Not on
After
On or after
Before
On or before
Multiple choice conditions:
Multiple choice questions use two selectors. The first sets what the rule looks at, either the Response or the Sentiment. The second sets the condition.
For Response:
Any selected
None selected
Equals
Does not equal
For Sentiment (Positive, Neutral or Negative):
Equals
Does not equal
Useful when several answers all count as a good, bad or neutral outcome. A rule set to Sentiment equals Negative asks the follow-up question for any response with that sentiment, and it keeps working when you add another negative answer to the list later.
Step 7: Branch Further
A question can carry more than one rule, so different answers can lead to different follow-up questions.
You can also add logic to the questions that a rule reveals. Layering rules this way lets the checklist follow the inspection down a path: damage found, then where, then how severe, then whether the item has been quarantined. Anything not relevant is never put in front of the inspector.
Step 8: Create Your Checklist
When your checklist is complete, click Create at the top of the page.
You will be taken to the Checklists page, where every checklist you have built is listed.
Step 9: Edit or Delete a Checklist
On the Checklists page, click the three dot menu against the checklist you want to change, then choose Edit or Delete.
When you open an existing checklist, the buttons in the top right are Save and Quit. Save keeps your changes. Quit leaves the checklist as it was.
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