Building templates
A template is a reusable definition of a checklist - its name, category, schedule, and the list of items the team will work through each time it runs. Build it once, run it daily.
The builder lives at /safety/checklists/new (create) or /safety/checklists/:id/edit (edit). Click Create New Checklist from the templates list to start.
Template details
Every template has:
- Name - what staff will see, for example "Morning opening checks"
- Description (optional) - a sentence of context for new starters
- Category - Opening, Closing, Cleaning, Safety or Custom (drives the colour and icon on the card)
- Frequency - Daily, Weekly, Monthly or One-off
- Due by - a local time of day (HH:MM) after which an unfinished instance is marked overdue
- Day of week (weekly only) - which day the instance is generated for
- Day of month (monthly only) - 1 to 28, so every month gets an instance
- Location - if you have multiple sites, scope the template to one location or All locations
Category isn't just decoration - it drives the filters on the templates list and the urgency colour on each card. Use Opening for first-thing checks, Closing for end-of-day, Cleaning for any cleaning schedule, and Safety for things like fire and allergen audits. Use Custom sparingly.
Item types
Each item on a checklist is one question for the person completing it. Five types are supported:
| Type | What it captures | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Tick (Yes/No) | A single boolean | "Is the hand-wash sink stocked?", "Bin emptied?" |
| Temperature | A numeric °C value with an acceptable range and an optional linked piece of equipment | Fridge / freezer / hot-hold readings |
| Number | A numeric value with an optional range | Probe calibration result, stock count |
| Text | Free text | Handover notes, name of duty manager |
| Photo | A single image, captured or uploaded | Evidence of a clean, packaging photos, label checks |
For Temperature and Number items, you can set a Min and Max. If the response falls outside this range, the input flags red and the staff member is prompted for a corrective action.
Linking temperature items to equipment
A temperature item can be linked to a piece of equipment from your equipment register. When linked:
- The acceptable range is pulled from the equipment automatically (the item's own min / max is cleared so the two can't drift)
- The reading flows into that equipment's temperature history when the checklist is submitted
- Updating the equipment's range updates every checklist item that's linked to it - no need to edit each template
This is how you wire up a "Morning opening checks" template that monitors all your fridges with the right per-equipment ranges.
Item-level options
For each item:
- Description - the question, for example "Front display chiller within range"
- Type - one of the five above
- Required - if ticked, the item must have a response before the instance can be submitted
- Guidance text (optional) - shown below the input on the completion screen, useful for new starters or for items that need a specific procedure
- Min / Max (number / temperature only) - acceptable range
- Equipment (temperature only) - link to a registered piece of equipment
Items can be reordered with the up and down arrows. Drag-and-drop is on the roadmap.
Schedules and recurrence
The frequency you pick determines when new instances are generated.
- Daily + Due by 10:00 - one instance per day, overdue if not complete by 10am
- Weekly + Day of week Monday + Due by 12:00 - one instance every Monday, overdue if not complete by midday
- Monthly + Day of month 1 + Due by 17:00 - one instance on the 1st of each month
- One-off - a single instance, no recurrence; useful for project work
The Due by time is in your local time. If you leave it blank, instances don't go overdue automatically - they just sit as Due until completed.
Permissions
| Role | Can complete | Can create templates | Can edit templates | Can delete templates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viewer | No | No | No | No |
| Member | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Admin | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Owner | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
In practice: anyone past viewer can build templates, but only managers can delete them. This stops a template with months of history being removed by accident.
Saving and going live
Click Create Checklist (or Save Changes when editing). The template appears on the list immediately, and the first instance is generated based on its schedule. Your team will see it on the dashboard and in the Team App as soon as it's due.
What's next
- See it from the staff side: Completing checklists
- Set up the equipment first: Equipment register