Create a Kanban Board in Google Sheets: Steps and Formulas

Create a Google Sheets Kanban board with one task per row, a status dropdown, an owner, and a due date. Add a second tab with filtered task lists if you want to see work grouped by stage.

This guide includes a copyable starting table, exact formulas, and a simple way to keep the sheet current. If your work starts in Gmail, Kanban Tasks gives you drag-and-drop boards and email-to-task capture directly in your inbox.

Copy this starting table

Create a blank Google Sheet and name the first tab Tasks. Copy this table into cells A1:G4:

Task ID	Task	Status	Owner	Priority	Notes
1	Confirm campaign brief	To do	Maya	High	Link the client brief
2	Draft campaign copy	In progress	Alex	Medium	Use the approved brief
3	Approve final page	Waiting	Sam	High	Waiting for client feedback

Each row represents one action. Use a separate task for work that needs a different owner or completion decision. Enter real dates in the Due date column when you have agreed deadlines.

Set up statuses, owners, and dates

Freeze the header with View → Freeze → 1 row.
Select C2:C1000 and add a dropdown through Data → Data validation.
Use the exact status values To do, In progress, Waiting, and Done.
Give each task one owner in column D. A dropdown can keep names consistent.
Format F2:F1000 as dates through Format → Number → Date.
Add file links and short context in Notes.

Use the same status spelling in the dropdowns and formulas. For example, In progress and Doing should not describe the same stage in different rows.

Google's dropdown instructions explain how to edit the options and reject values that are not in the list.

Highlight overdue tasks

Select A2:G1000, open Format → Conditional formatting, and choose Custom formula is. Use:

=AND($B2<>"",ISNUMBER($F2),$F2<TODAY(),$C2<>"Done")

Choose a light red fill. This rule highlights a task only when it has a title, a valid due date before today, and a status other than Done. Blank dates remain unmarked.

Add a second rule for completed work:

=$C2="Done"

Use a light green fill. Keep the text readable and limit colors to information that changes what someone should do.

Create a visual board tab

Create a second tab named Board. Put To do, In progress, Waiting, and Done in A1, C1, E1, and G1.

In A2, enter:

=IFERROR(FILTER(Tasks!$B$2:$B$1000,Tasks!$C$2:$C$1000=A$1,Tasks!$B$2:$B$1000<>""),"")

Copy the formula to C2, E2, and G2. The heading reference changes to match each stage. Leave the cells below the formulas empty so that the results can expand.

To show each task's owner beside it, put this formula in B2 and copy it to D2, F2, and H2:

=IFERROR(FILTER(Tasks!$D$2:$D$1000,Tasks!$C$2:$C$1000=A$1,Tasks!$B$2:$B$1000<>""),"")

Change a task's status on the Tasks tab to move it between the displayed lists. The Board tab is a formula view; edit the source rows rather than the formula results.

The formulas use commas as separators. If your spreadsheet locale requires semicolons, replace the commas with semicolons. See Google's FILTER reference for the function's behavior.

Count work in each stage

On the Board tab, use this formula in A1002 to count the tasks in the stage named in A1:

=COUNTIFS(Tasks!$C$2:$C$1000,A$1,Tasks!$B$2:$B$1000,"<>")

Copy it to C1002, E1002, and G1002. You can put the summary elsewhere outside the filtered results if that is easier to scan.

Review the counts with the team. If Waiting keeps growing, inspect the blocked tasks and name the next action for each one.

Give editors access to the file and use Viewer access for people who only need progress updates. Protect the Board tab's formula cells so that a status update cannot overwrite the formulas.

Use filter views on the Tasks tab when each teammate needs a different view. A normal shared filter can change what other people see.

Agree on a short operating routine:

Add a row when work is accepted.
Give it a clear title, status, and owner.
Change its status as the work moves.
Review overdue and Waiting tasks each day.
Review completed work before moving old rows to an archive tab.

Fix common Sheets Kanban problems

Problem	Correction
A stage is empty	Check that the status matches its heading exactly
A formula shows a spill error	Clear the cells below the formula
Blank rows appear overdue	Use the date check in the conditional-formatting formula above
Changing a filter affects a colleague	Use a separate filter view
Owners or notes are attached to the wrong task	Sort the full table, including every task field
A task appears twice	Keep one source row per task and show it through formulas

For dated project planning, use the free Google Sheets project timeline template. It provides a blank plan and a filled example with a 28-day timeline.

Move Gmail work onto a shared Kanban board

When requests arrive by email, capture the task while the message is open. Kanban Tasks keeps a link to the original email and adds board stages, due dates, comments, checklists, and attachments. Teams adds shared boards and task assignments.

A Gmail message becomes a Kanban Tasks card

Start by creating a board with the same four stages, then add the active tasks your team needs to manage. Keep the spreadsheet as a planning or reporting file if it still has a clear purpose.

Open Kanban Tasks or follow the Gmail Kanban setup guide. Personal use is free. Teams costs $5 per user per month or $50 per user per year.

Google Sheets Kanban questions

Can I drag cards between columns in this sheet?

The formula board moves tasks when you change Status on the Tasks tab. Use Kanban Tasks when you want to move cards directly between lists.

Can several people use the sheet?

Yes. Share the file with your team, protect the formula ranges, and agree on how owners and statuses are updated.

Can I add more than 999 tasks?

Yes. Extend all source ranges and validation rules together. Keep the same end row in each FILTER condition, and move summary cells outside the expanded results.