Working with Cards

Cards are the units of work on your boards. Create them, assign them, move them, complete them.

Every item on a LeanBoard is a card. Cards represent requests, tasks, ideas, or anything else that needs to be tracked. Understanding how to work with cards is fundamental to using LeanBoards effectively.

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Anatomy of a Card

When you open a card, you'll see:

Field	Description
Title	What the card is about (auto-generated from requests, editable)
Status	Current status (New, In Progress, Done, etc.)
Owner	Who's responsible for this card
Due Date	When this needs to be completed (optional)
Details	Additional information about the request or task
Labels	Tags for categorization or priority
Created/Updated	When the card was created and last modified

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Creating Cards

Cards get created in three ways:

Automatically from field requests: When someone tells Lana they need something, the LeanBoard Agent creates a card on the appropriate board.

Automatically from huddles: The Huddle Agent extracts action items and can create cards from them.

Manually: Click the + button in any column to create a card directly.

Manual Card Creation

1. Navigate to the board where you want to create the card

2. Find the column where the card should start (usually New)

3. Click the + button at the top of the column

4. Enter the card details

5. Save

When creating cards manually, put them in the column that reflects their actual status. New requests go in New. Something already in progress goes in the In Progress column.

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Moving Cards

Cards move through columns as status changes. There are two ways to move a card:

Drag and drop: Simply drag the card from one column to another.

Status dropdown: Open the card and change the Status field using the dropdown.

When to Move Cards

Move a card when its status actually changes:

Action	Move To
Started working on it	In Progress / next status column
Completed the work	Done
Waiting on something external	Waiting on Parts / Reviewing / appropriate hold column
No longer needed	Cancelled / Void

Don't move cards just to move them. Each move should reflect real progress.

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Prioritizing Cards

Within a column, you can drag cards up and down to set priority order. Cards at the top of a column are higher priority than cards at the bottom.

Best practice: When you check the board, work from the top of each column down. The most important things should be at the top.

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Assigning Owners

Every card should have an owner. The owner is responsible for moving the card forward.

To assign an owner:

1. Open the card

2. Click the Owner dropdown

3. Select the team member

Cards without owners tend to sit. If you see unassigned cards on your board, that's a signal something needs attention.

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Adding Labels

Labels help you categorize and filter cards. Common uses:

• Priority: Urgent, High, Normal, Low

• Type: Within a board, distinguish subtypes

• Source: Where the request came from

• Custom: Whatever makes sense for your workflow

To add a label:

1. Open the card (or hover over it)

2. Click Add labels or the label icon

3. Select existing labels or create new ones

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Setting Due Dates

Not every card needs a due date. Use them for:

• Time-sensitive requests (client waiting, deadline approaching)

• Scheduled tasks (must happen on a specific date)

• Accountability (want to ensure completion by a certain time)

To set a due date:

1. Open the card

2. Click the Due Date field

3. Select a date

Cards with passed due dates should get attention. Either complete them, update the date, or acknowledge the delay.

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Finding Cards

On any board:

Filter by title: Use the search box at the top of the board to find cards by name.

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Triaging New Cards

Cards flow onto boards from requests and huddles throughout the day. Not every card needs action. Part of working the boards is triaging what's new.

When you check the New column:

1. Delete cards you don't need. Some requests won't be actionable, will be duplicates, or won't make sense. Delete them rather than letting them pile up.

2. Prioritize what remains. Drag important cards to the top of the column. Less urgent items go lower.

3. Add context where needed. If a card needs more information before it can be worked, add it now. Property address, order numbers, relevant details.

4. Assign owners. Cards without owners tend to sit. Make sure someone is responsible.

5. Move what's ready. If you can start on something immediately, move it to the next column.

Don't let New pile up. A long list of cards in New means things aren't being triaged. Check boards regularly and process what's there.

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Card Best Practices

Keep cards moving. A card that sits in the same column for days needs attention. Either work on it, reassign it, or acknowledge it's blocked.

Add context as you work. When you learn something relevant, add it to the card. Future you (or your colleague) will thank you.

Close the loop. When work is complete, move the card to Done. When it's no longer needed, move to Cancelled. Don't leave cards in limbo.

Don't duplicate. Before creating a card manually, check if one already exists. Duplicate cards cause confusion.

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Related Pages

LeanBoards Overview

What boards are, the six system boards, and how Kanban works.

Managing Boards

Board settings, members, and custom boards.

Field to Office Workflow

How requests flow from the field to boards.