How to make a kanban board in Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 gives you two ways to do it. Use a Planner plan and open Board view, or add a Board view to a SharePoint list that has a choice column.

What are your options for a kanban board in Microsoft 365?

Two tools are built in. Planner is made for tasks, with buckets as the columns. A SharePoint list or Microsoft Lists list can show the same idea as a Board view, where each choice in a column becomes a lane.

Both let you drag a card from one lane to another. The difference is what the card holds. A Planner card is a task. A list card is a row from your own table, with whatever columns you design.

How do you build the board in Planner?

Button names can differ a little by Planner version, so match the labels on your own screen.

Open your plan and select Board at the top of the project.
Select Add bucket, type a name, and press Enter. Each bucket is a column.
Under a bucket, select Add task and type a task name.
Drag a task to another bucket to change its stage.
Select a task to open its details, then select Assign to and pick a person.

How do you sort or group the cards in Planner?

Use Group by to arrange the cards, for example by Progress. To mark a task complete, select the circle to the left of the task name. It changes to a checkmark.

Your team may want saved filters on top of this. See our guide on Planner saved custom views.

How do you build the board in a SharePoint list?

The steps for this view are in our board view guide. Microsoft's general view page does not list Board, so menu names may differ in your tenant.

Open the list and use the view menu to create a new view.
Name the view and choose Board as the type.
Pick the choice column that sets the lanes, such as Status.
Select Create. Each choice in that column becomes a lane.
Drag a card to a new lane to change the value.

Which one should a small team pick?

Pick Planner when the work is tasks with owners and due dates, and you want checklists. Our guide on Planner vs a SharePoint list goes deeper.

Pick a list board when each card is a record you need to report on, such as a request, a client job, or an order. The card then carries every column in your list.

This is advice, not a Microsoft rule. If you are unsure, start with Planner for a week. You can move to a list later.

Can files go on a card?

On a list card, yes. A list item can hold attachments. Where those files end up is covered in where SharePoint list attachments go.

If you want a flow to act on cards, such as emailing a file when a card moves, see how to email list item attachments.

Want help with this?

If you would rather have someone build a board like this for you, I can help. I am Al Davies at 250 High Street LLC, and I build SharePoint and Power Automate trackers for small teams, fully remote. A tracker is $5,000 and takes 2 weeks, and the first call is free. You can see past work in the portfolio.

FAQ

Is there a free kanban board in Microsoft 365?

Planner and Microsoft Lists are both part of Microsoft 365. Which one your plan includes depends on your subscription, so check your own tenant.

Can I move cards between lanes by dragging?

Yes. In Planner you drag a task to another bucket. In a list board you drag a card to another lane.

Why can I not create a Board view?

You need a choice or Yes/No column in the list for the lanes. If the option is still missing, ask the list owner whether you can create views.