Kanban board template: 6 layouts with columns and WIP limits

A kanban board template is a ready-made set of columns, work-in-progress limits and card fields that you copy and adjust to your workflow. This guide writes out six, so you can paste them into a whiteboard, spreadsheet or kanban tool.

Every WIP number below is illustrative. Set your own limits from your team size and the work you actually do. The kanban method explains the logic behind them.

Key takeaways

A good template matches your real workflow, so rename columns before you start.

Each in-progress column needs a WIP limit, and a team of any size can begin with a small one.

Card fields should hold only what the next person needs.

Review the template after a few weeks and change it when work gets stuck.

What does a kanban board template contain?

A kanban template has four parts: columns, WIP limits, swimlanes and card fields. Columns show workflow steps, and limits cap how much work each step may hold.

Swimlanes are horizontal rows that separate types of work, such as urgent and normal. Card fields are the details written on each item.

The templates below use plain text. You can build any of them in a spreadsheet, which suits anyone searching for a kanban board template Excel users can open. Our guide to a free kanban board covers where to host them.

Simple three-column kanban board

The simple kanban board has three columns: To do, Doing and Done. It is the right template when you are new to kanban or the work has few steps.

Columns: To do, Doing (limit 3), Done.

Card fields: title and owner.

Say a team of three sets the Doing limit at three. A fourth item cannot start until one finishes. That one rule is what turns a task list into a kanban system.

Team workflow template with WIP limits

A team workflow template splits Doing into the real steps work passes through. It suits any small team that hands work from one person to another.

Columns: Backlog (no limit), Ready (limit 5), In progress (limit 4), Review (limit 3), Done.

Swimlanes: Expedite (limit 1) and Standard.

Card fields: title, owner, date started, date finished and a blocked flag.

The two dates give you cycle time. The blocked flag shows where work waits, and our guide on why limiting WIP makes teams faster explains why the limits matter.

Software development kanban template

A software development template separates analysis, build and testing so you can see where code waits. Teams that release continuously often use it.

Columns: Backlog, Analysis (limit 2), Development (limit 4), Code review (limit 2), Testing (limit 3), Ready to release, Released.

Swimlanes: Bugs, Features and Technical debt.

Card fields: title, link to the ticket, owner, work type, date started and blockers.

Review is often the first column to fill. If it does, the fix is to review sooner, not to raise the limit.

Personal kanban template

A personal kanban template uses a few columns and a tight limit to stop you starting too many things. It suits individuals managing their own work or home tasks.

Columns: Backlog, This week (limit 5), Doing (limit 2), Waiting (no limit), Done.

Card fields: task, and a due date only if one is real.

The idea comes from Jim Benson's personal kanban approach, described in his 2011 book Personal Kanban with Tonianne DeMaria Barry. The Waiting column makes dependencies on other people visible.

Support and service desk template

A service desk template tracks requests from arrival to resolution, with classes of service for urgent items. It fits IT, facilities and customer support teams.

Columns: New, Triage (limit 3), Working (limit 6), Waiting for customer (no limit), Resolved.

Swimlanes: Urgent (limit 2), Standard and Request for information.

Card fields: ticket number, requester, priority, date received and date resolved.

The Waiting for customer column matters. Without it, tickets blocked on outside answers look like slow internal work.

Content production kanban template

A content production template follows a piece from idea to publication, and it shows where drafts pile up. Marketing and editorial teams use it.

Columns: Ideas, Briefed (limit 5), Drafting (limit 3), Editing (limit 2), Approval (limit 2), Scheduled, Published.

Swimlanes: Blog, Email and Social.

Card fields: working title, format, author, editor, due date and target channel.

Say Editing keeps hitting its limit of two. The board shows the editor as the constraint, which is a staffing conversation rather than a writing problem.

How to adapt a kanban template

Adapt a template by mapping your real workflow first, then renaming columns to match. A template is a starting point, not a standard.

Follow five steps.

First, list the steps work really passes through, including waiting. Second, make one column per step, and merge steps that nobody can tell apart.

Third, set WIP limits slightly below the current average load, so they create gentle pressure. Fourth, keep card fields to what the next person needs. Fifth, review after two to four weeks.

If work sits in one column, lower the limit before it. If the board feels empty and people wait, raise limits or remove a column. See kanban board examples for how real layouts change.

Common template mistakes

The most common mistake is copying a template with too many columns. Every extra column adds a handoff and another place for work to wait.

A second mistake is leaving out WIP limits. Without them, the board shows work but does not control it.

A third is hiding waiting. Add a visible column or flag for blocked work, so delays show up on the board and in your measures. Our flow metrics tools page describes how to track them.

For the wider picture, read the kanban pillar guide and kanban project management.

Frequently asked questions