# Add and work on cards (/docs/kanban/kanban-cards)

Cards are the work on a board: a task on a project board, a post on a content calendar, a lead on a lead pipeline or a campaign on an ad board. Each card moves left to right through the board's statuses and has its own page with its details, checklist, files and discussion.

- **Who can use it:** Adding cards needs the **Add cards** permission, and moving or editing them needs **Edit and move cards** (Owners, Admins and Members by default). On a board, the project manager can change every card; other members change the cards they created or are assigned to; guests only read. Assigning people is for the project manager and the card's creator, and deleting a card needs **Delete cards** plus being its project manager or creator. Commenting needs **Comment on cards**. Viewers read cards with a **View only** notice. See [Board members, roles and access](/docs/kanban/board-members) and [Roles and permissions](/docs/settings/roles).
- **Before you start:** You need to be on the board ([Board members, roles and access](/docs/kanban/board-members)). This page uses a project board; posts, leads and campaigns have extra fields, covered in [Write, preview and schedule social posts](/docs/kanban/social-posts) and [Lead pipelines and ad campaign boards](/docs/kanban/lead-and-ad-boards).

## Read the board [#read-the-board]

Open a board from the [Kanban page](/docs/kanban/kanban-boards). The **Board** tab shows one column per status, side by side; scroll sideways to see them all. Each column shows its name and how many cards it holds (for example **2/4** when it has a card limit).

![The Q4 website launch board on its Board tab, with the Backlog, To do, In progress and Review columns full of task cards](/screenshots/kanban-cards/01-board.webp)

Each card shows up to three labels, its title, a checklist bar, its priority, its key (such as **WEB-2**), its due date, how many comments it has and who it's assigned to (a dashed box when nobody is). Click anywhere on a card to open it.

![The Design the pricing page card: the Design label, checklist 2/4, an Urgent priority icon, WEB-2, due Oct 21, 2 comments and Mara's avatar](/screenshots/kanban-cards/02-card-tile.webp)

| Due date | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| Overdue | A red badge with the date. |
| Due today | A tinted **Today** badge. |
| Due in the next three days | An outlined badge with the date. |
| Later | The date in plain text. |

Cards in a finished or closed status are never shown as late, and their titles are muted. An empty status says, for example, "No tasks in Review", with "Drag a card here." if you can move cards.

Cards on other kinds of boards show a line of their own: a post shows its networks, format and publish time (and its reach and engagements once it's out), a lead its contact, value and chance to close, and a campaign its platform, spend against budget and results. See [Write, preview and schedule social posts](/docs/kanban/social-posts) and [Lead pipelines and ad campaign boards](/docs/kanban/lead-and-ad-boards).

## Add cards [#add-cards]

<Steps>
<Step>

### Open the composer [#open-the-composer]

Click **New task** at the top of the board (or press <kbd>N</kbd>) to add to the first status. To add to a particular status, click **Add task** at the bottom of its column, or the **+** at its top.

</Step>
<Step>

### Type the title and press Enter [#type-the-title-and-press-enter]

Type the card's title and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> (or click **Add task**). The card is added and the composer stays open, so you can type the next one straight away. Press <kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> for a new line, and <kbd>Esc</kbd> to close the composer.

![The Backlog column with the composer open and Write the launch announcement typed, above Enter to add, Cancel and Add task](/screenshots/kanban-cards/03-composer.webp)

</Step>
</Steps>

The new card gets the next key on the board and you as its creator. On a content calendar, **New post** opens the new post's page instead, ready to write ([Write, preview and schedule social posts](/docs/kanban/social-posts)).

You can also add cards from the **List** tab: click **Add card** under a group, type the title and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>. The card takes that group's status, priority, assignee or label.

## Move cards [#move-cards]

Drag a card to another column, or up and down within one; a blue line shows where it will land. You can also use the card's **⋯** menu:

![A card's menu with Move to open on Backlog, In progress, Review and Done, and Move up, Duplicate task, Share task and Delete task](/screenshots/kanban-cards/04-card-menu.webp)

- **Move to**: pick another status.
- **Move up** / **Move down**: change its place in the column.
- **Duplicate task**: add a copy titled "… (copy)" in the same status, with the same description, priority, assignees, dates and labels (the checklist, files and comments aren't copied). From the card page, the copy opens straight away.
- **Share task**: give it a public view-only link ([Share a board or card with a public link](/docs/kanban/share-boards)).
- **Delete task**: delete it (below).

After a move, a message names the new status. Click **Undo** in it to put the card back.

![The message Moved to In progress, Meta titles and descriptions for every page, with an Undo button](/screenshots/kanban-cards/05-move-toast.webp)

When a status holds more cards than its card limit, its count turns red. Here **In progress** has a limit of 4 and holds 5 cards:

![The In progress column with its count 5/4 in red over five cards](/screenshots/kanban-cards/06-over-limit.webp)

Moving a card into a finished status (such as **Done**) marks it done; moving it into a closed status (such as **Lost**) closes it. Neither is ever overdue. To change a status's limit, see [Set a card limit](/docs/kanban/create-board#set-a-card-limit).

## Open a card [#open-a-card]

<Steps>
<Step>

### Open the card page [#open-the-card-page]

Click a card. Its page shows the card's path (board, status and key), its title, key, status and when it last changed. On the left are the **Description**, **Checklist**, **Files** and the discussion; on the right, its **Details** and **Assignees**.

![The page of Design the pricing page: breadcrumb Kanban › Q4 website launch › In progress › WEB-2, Move to Review, and the Description, Checklist, Files, Details and Assignees panels](/screenshots/kanban-cards/07-card-page.webp)

Everything saves as you go: pickers when you choose, text when you click away or press <kbd>Enter</kbd>. Press <kbd>Esc</kbd> in a text field to undo what you typed.

</Step>
<Step>

### Move it to the next status [#move-it-to-the-next-status]

Click **Move to** followed by the next status (here **Move to Review**), or press <kbd>M</kbd>. The button isn't shown when the card is in the last status. Click **Undo** in the message to move it back.

</Step>
</Steps>

## Edit the details [#edit-the-details]

In **Details**, change the card's **Title** (up to 200 characters), **Status**, **Priority** (**Urgent**, **High**, **Medium**, **Low** or **No priority**), **Dates** and **Labels**.

![The Details panel with Title, Status In progress, Priority Urgent, Dates Oct 15 – Oct 21 and the label Design](/screenshots/kanban-cards/08-details.webp)

Click **Dates** to set a start and due date. Pick a preset (**Today**, **Tomorrow**, **This week**, **Next 7 days**, **Next 2 weeks**, **This month** or **Next month**) or click a first and last day on the calendar, then **Apply**. **Clear** removes both dates.

![The Dates picker with the presets on the left, September and October 2026 with Oct 15 to Oct 21 selected, and Clear, Cancel and Apply](/screenshots/kanban-cards/09-dates.webp)

Click **Labels** to add any of the board's labels, or click a label's **×** to remove it. Labels come from the board; add new ones in [Board settings](/docs/kanban/create-board#rename-a-board-and-edit-its-labels).

Write the **Description** in the box at the top left (up to 5,000 characters): the details, links and context the team needs.

## Assign people [#assign-people]

Under **Assignees**, click **Assign someone by name** and pick a person. Only people on the board can be assigned, and guests can't. To unassign someone, click the **×** on their row. A card can have several assignees.

![The Assignees section with Mara Delgado assigned and the picker open on Priya Raman (Project manager), Jonah Weiss (Developer) and Lena Ortiz (Copywriter)](/screenshots/kanban-cards/10-assignees.webp)

If you can't change the assignees, the section says "The project manager or the card's creator assigns it."

## Use the checklist [#use-the-checklist]

Tick items as they're done; the bar and the "2 of 4 done" count follow. To add an item, type it in **Add an item** and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> or click **Add**. To remove one, point to it and click its **×**; click **Undo** in the message to bring it back.

![The Checklist with Wireframe and Plan comparison table ticked, Calculator states and Mobile layout open, and a new item being typed](/screenshots/kanban-cards/11-checklist.webp)

## Attach files [#attach-files]

Under **Files**, click **Attach** or drop files onto the section. Each file shows its size and when it was added. Open a file's **⋯** menu to **Download** it or **Remove file** (Mokanata asks you to confirm, because it's removed from the card for everyone).

![The Files section with pricing-page-v2.fig, 3 MB, and the Attach button](/screenshots/kanban-cards/12-files.webp)

Files attached to cards also appear on the board's **Files** tab ([Board overview, files and activity](/docs/kanban/board-overview#share-files-on-the-board)).

## Comment and see the history [#comment-and-see-the-history]

<Steps>
<Step>

### Write a comment [#write-a-comment]

Under **Comments**, type in **Write a comment** and click **Comment**, or press <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> (<kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> on Windows and Linux).

![The Comments tab with two comments from Priya Raman and Mara Delgado and a new comment being typed above the Comment button](/screenshots/kanban-cards/13-comments.webp)

You can delete your own comments, and people who can edit the card can delete any. Click **Undo** in the message to restore one.

</Step>
<Step>

### Read the card's activity [#read-the-cards-activity]

Click **Activity** to see everything that happened to the card, newest first: who created it, moved it, changed its dates or priority, assigned people, ticked checklist items, attached files and more.

![The Activity tab with Mara Delgado checked "Calculator states" and Mara Delgado created this card](/screenshots/kanban-cards/14-activity.webp)

</Step>
</Steps>

## Duplicate or delete a card [#duplicate-or-delete-a-card]

On the card page, open the **⋯** menu next to the move button. Besides **Move to**, **Move up**, **Move down**, **Duplicate task** and **Share task**, it has **Open** followed by the board's name to go back to the board.

![The card page's menu with Move to, Move down, Duplicate task, Share task, Open Q4 website launch and Delete task](/screenshots/kanban-cards/15-card-actions.webp)

Choosing **Delete task** asks you to confirm. Its checklist, comments and activity go with it; click **Undo** in the message right after to bring it back.

![The confirmation Delete "Design the pricing page"? with Cancel and Delete task](/screenshots/kanban-cards/16-delete-card.webp)

## Change several cards at once [#change-several-cards-at-once]

<Steps>
<Step>

### Select the cards [#select-the-cards]

On the **List** tab, tick the box at the start of each row, or the box in the header to select every card shown. A bar at the bottom says how many cards are selected.

![The List tab with three cards ticked and the bar at the bottom reading 3 cards selected, with Move to, Priority, Assign, Delete and Clear](/screenshots/kanban-cards/17-bulk.webp)

</Step>
<Step>

### Choose what to change [#choose-what-to-change]

- **Move to**: move them all to a status.
- **Priority**: give them all one priority.
- **Assign**: assign them all to one person, or choose **Unassigned**. Cards you can't assign are left as they were, and the message says how many.
- **Delete**: delete them all, after you confirm. Click **Undo** in the message to bring them back.
- **Clear**: deselect them.

</Step>
</Steps>

## What a read-only card looks like [#what-a-read-only-card-looks-like]

People who can see a card but not change it get a **View only** notice ("Your role can read this task but not change it."). Pickers show as plain text, the checklist can't be ticked, there's no comment box without **Comment on cards**, and **Move to** is greyed out. Guests on a board and Viewers see cards this way, and so do members looking at a card they aren't on.

![A task opened by a guest: the View only notice, Move to To do greyed out, and the description, checklist, files and details as plain text](/screenshots/kanban-cards/18-read-only.webp)

## Keyboard shortcuts [#keyboard-shortcuts]

| Keys | Where | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| <kbd>N</kbd> | A board | Add a card to the first status (on a content calendar, a new post). |
| <kbd>M</kbd> | A card page | Move the card to the next status (not on posts). |
| <kbd>/</kbd> | A board | Search the cards. |
| <kbd>Enter</kbd> | The composer, checklist, text fields | Add the card or item, or save the field. |
| <kbd>Shift</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> | The composer | New line in the title. |
| <kbd>Esc</kbd> | The composer, text fields | Close the composer, or undo what you typed in a field. |
| <kbd>⌘</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> / <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> <kbd>Enter</kbd> | Write a comment | Send the comment. |

You can change <kbd>N</kbd> and <kbd>M</kbd> in [Keyboard shortcuts](/docs/settings/keyboard-shortcuts).

## Troubleshooting [#troubleshooting]

<Accordions type="single">
<Accordion title="A message says Not moved">
You can't move this card: your role can't edit cards, or you aren't its project manager, creator or assignee. On a content calendar, moving a post into or out of **Scheduled** or **Published** also needs **Schedule and publish posts**, and the post must have nothing to fix. The message says why.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="A link says Card not found">
The card was deleted, moved to another board, or the link is wrong. Click **Back to** the board (or **All boards**) and search for it. If it says **This card isn't shared with you**, you don't have access to it on that board ([Board members, roles and access](/docs/kanban/board-members#what-people-see-without-access)).
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="I can't find a card a teammate mentioned">
On boards where members see only their cards, you see the cards you created or are assigned to. Ask the project manager to assign you, or to switch the board to **Every card** ([Board members, roles and access](/docs/kanban/board-members#choose-who-sees-which-cards)).
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="The person I want to assign isn't in the list">
Only people on the board can be assigned, and guests can't. Ask the project manager to add them or change their board role.
</Accordion>
</Accordions>

## Next steps [#next-steps]

<Cards>
<Card title="Views, filters and saved views" href="/docs/kanban/kanban-views" description="See the cards as a list, table, calendar or timeline." />
<Card title="Board overview, files and activity" href="/docs/kanban/board-overview" description="Track progress and everything that changed on the board." />
<Card title="Share a board or card with a public link" href="/docs/kanban/share-boards" description="Show a card to someone outside the workspace." />
</Cards>
