Free Kanban Board Template (Excel)
What is a Kanban board template in Excel?
This template is a Task Board list, not a drag-and-drop card layout — each task is a row with a Status dropdown (To Do, In Progress, Review, Done) instead of a movable card you drag between visual columns. You change a task's stage by selecting its new status from the dropdown, and conditional formatting highlights Done and In Progress rows so its stage is easy to scan.
If you're picturing sticky notes you physically drag across a board, that's a different tool (Trello, a physical whiteboard). What this file gives you is the Kanban discipline — a single source of truth for every task's stage — in a spreadsheet everyone on your team already knows how to use.
Why use a spreadsheet instead of a Kanban app
Kanban apps add real-time multi-user card dragging and automations, which matter once a team is large enough to need live collaboration on the same board. For a solo operator, a small team, or anyone who just wants one shared task list with clear stages, that's often more tool (and subscription) than the job requires.
This file works offline, has no per-seat cost, and opens identically in Excel or Google Sheets — you fill in a status, not drag a card, and the summary counts and cycle-time math still tell you exactly how work is flowing.
Live column counts and cycle time
The summary block counts how many tasks currently sit in To Do, In Progress, Review, and Done, updating the instant you change a task's status — so you can see your current work-in-progress count without manually tallying the list.
Enter a Date started and Date completed on each task, and Cycle days calculates the gap between them automatically. The summary also averages cycle days across every completed task, giving you a real number for how long work typically takes from start to finish.
Managing WIP with this template
The In Progress (WIP) count in the summary is the number to watch if you're practicing Kanban discipline — keeping it small (a limit of 3-5 tasks per person is a common rule of thumb) is what prevents everyone from starting ten things and finishing none.
Because the count updates the moment a status changes, you can check it before pulling a new task into In Progress, the same discipline a physical board enforces by running out of room in that column.
How to use it
- Add tasks with an assignee and priority.
- Set each task's Status from the dropdown: To Do, In Progress, Review, or Done.
- Watch the column counts in the summary update as statuses change.
- Enter Date started and Date completed to see cycle days per task and the team average.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use this Kanban template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the downloaded file to Google Drive, then open it and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The column counts and cycle-time formulas keep working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
Can I drag tasks between visual columns like Trello?
No. This is a task list with a Status dropdown per row, not a drag-and-drop card board. You change a task's stage by selecting a new status, and the row's formatting and the summary counts update accordingly.
How many tasks can the board hold?
Up to 100 tasks. Insert additional rows and copy the Cycle days formula down if you need more.
Does it enforce a WIP limit automatically?
It shows you the current In Progress count in the summary, but it doesn't block you from adding more tasks past a limit — you apply the discipline yourself by watching that number.