Glossary
One canonical name and meaning for each term used across this documentation. Where two terms are commonly confused, the difference is spelled out rather than implied.
The Core Objects
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Template | The blueprint. Defines the tasks, content and behaviour that every checklist created from it will have. Versioned. See Create a Template. |
| Checklist | A running instance created from a template. What a person actually completes. See Create a Checklist. |
| Task | One completable step in a checklist. Has a checkbox, a status, optional due date and assignees, and contains controls. |
| Heading | A read-only divider in the task list. Has no checkbox and cannot be completed. Not a task. |
| Control | The building block of a task. Every task is made up of one or more controls. See Control Types. |
Controls
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Content control | A control that displays information and captures no answer. Read-only in the checklist, never blocks completion. Text, Image, Video, File, Mail-To, Embed, Separator. |
| Input control | A control that captures information from the person running the checklist. Short Text, Long Text, E-Mail, Website, File Upload, Date & Time, Dropdown, Multi-Choice, Sub-Tasks, Members, Table, Linked Checklist. |
| Halt task | A task carrying halt logic, which disables the tasks after it until it is complete. The feature is enforcing task order; the mechanism is a halt. |
| Tooltip | Optional guidance attached to any control, shown on hover. See Tooltips. |
Automation
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Parameter | A named value defined on a template and set when a checklist is created. Three types: String, Date & Time, Member or Group. Bound to controls or to task assignments. See Template Parameters. |
| Dynamic value | A value drawn from elsewhere — another control, or global data such as the current date — and inserted into a control. Two forms: placeholders (inline {{tokens}} in Text and Mail-To) and bindings (pre-filling an input control). See Dynamic Values. |
| Binding | The configured connection between a control and its source: a dynamic value, a template parameter, or a Data Set field. |
| Trigger | Two meanings — always say which. In conditional logic, the If side of a rule. In custom notifications, the event that fires the notification. |
| Action | Two meanings — always say which. In conditional logic, the Then side: showing or hiding tasks, headings and controls. In custom notifications, what happens when the trigger fires. |
| Anchor | Custom notifications only. What a notification is attached to — the checklist and/or specific tasks. |
Data Sets
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Data Set | A reusable table of reference data stored in the Library. Made of fields and records. See Data Sets Overview. |
| Record | One row of a Data Set. |
| Field | One column of a Data Set, with a name and a type. Use field for Data Sets and control for the things in a task — a control is not a field. |
| View | A saved combination of filters, sorts and hidden columns. Used by both Data Sets and Reports. Every Data Set has an All Records view. |
| Display Field | The field whose value is shown to the person running the checklist. |
People and Access
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Role | One of exactly three baseline access levels: Administrator, Member, Guest. Every user has one. |
| Permission | An Area.Capability flag — Template.Creator, Report.Creator and so on — granted on top of the Member role. See User Permissions. |
| Administrator | The unrestricted role. Holds every permission implicitly; its permissions cannot be edited. There must always be at least one. |
| Member | A user whose access is determined by their permissions. Members are the users your subscription is counted in. |
| Guest | A free, limited role. Sees only their own dashboard and the tasks they are directly assigned to, and cannot be granted permissions. |
| Group | A named collection of team members. Can be assigned anywhere a member can. Only Administrators can create, edit and delete groups. Confers no permissions. |
| Folder | A container in the Library or the template list. Carries its own View, Edit or Deny permissions. |
A role is not a permission
This is the distinction most often got wrong. Roles are Administrator, Member and Guest. Permissions are the Area.Capability flags. There is no such thing as a "Creator role" — Report.Creator is a permission granted to a Member.
Terms That Are Easy to Confuse
| These look alike | The difference |
|---|---|
| Template and Checklist | The template is the blueprint; the checklist is one run of it. Answers live in the checklist, never in the template. |
| Task and Heading | A task can be completed. A heading is a read-only divider. |
| Field and Control | A field is a Data Set column. A control is a thing in a task. |
| Trigger in conditional logic and in notifications | One is the If side of a rule; the other is an event that sends a message. |
| File and File Upload | File gives a document to the reader. File Upload collects one from them. |
| Website and Embed | Website captures a URL from the user. Embed displays a page you chose. |
| Reports and Analytics | Reports lists individual checklists. Analytics aggregates them into trends. |
| Archiving and Deleting | Archiving hides a checklist and can be undone. Deleting is permanent. |
Related Pages
- Core Concepts — how templates, checklists, tasks and controls fit together.
- Control Types — every control and what it supports.
- User Permissions — the canonical permission list.
- Getting Started — the walkthrough these terms describe.