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Overview

Board View displays your database as a kanban board, organizing rows into columns based on a grouping field. It’s perfect for managing tasks, tracking project stages, and visualizing workflows.

Visual Workflow

See work progress at a glance with columnar organization

Drag & Drop

Move cards between columns to update status

Customizable Groups

Group by any Single Select or Checkbox field

Card Layouts

Show relevant fields as card properties

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Creating a Board View

1

Create new board

Type /board in a document, or click + in sidebar and select Board
2

Or add to existing database

Open a database, click the view name, and select + Add View → Board
3

Configure grouping

Choose which Single Select field to group by (defaults to “Status”)
Board views require a Single Select or Checkbox field for grouping. If your database doesn’t have one, AppFlowy creates a default “Status” field.

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Understanding Board Structure

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Columns (Groups)

Each column represents one option from your grouping field:
  • To Do (Purple)
  • In Progress (Orange)
  • Done (Green)
Columns are created automatically from your Single Select options.

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Cards (Rows)

Each card is a database row showing:
  • Card title (primary field)
  • Field properties you choose to display
  • Cover image (optional)
  • Badges for checklists, comments, attachments

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Working with Cards

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Creating Cards

1

Add to column

Click + New at the bottom of any column
2

Quick add

Type a card name and press Enter to create another
3

Set properties

Click the card to open details and fill in other fields
Press Ctrl/Cmd + Enter anywhere in the board to create a card in the first column.

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Moving Cards

Drag and drop: Click and hold a card, then drag it to another column Keyboard: Select a card and use arrow keys to move between columns Details view: Open the card and change the grouping field value
Moving a card to a different column automatically updates its grouping field value.

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Card Actions

Hover over a card for quick actions:
  • Click: Open card details
  • Drag handle: Reorder within column
  • ⋯ Menu: Duplicate, delete, or open in new tab

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Managing Columns

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Adding Columns

1

Add option

Columns are created by adding options to your grouping field
2

Edit field

Click the field header, then Edit property
3

Create option

Click + Add option, name it, and choose a color

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Column Operations

Click the ⋯ menu on any column header:
  • Hide group: Hide the column (cards remain in database)
  • Delete group: Remove the option and move cards to “No Status”
  • Edit option: Change name or color
  • Duplicate: Copy all cards in the column

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Reordering Columns

1

Edit grouping field

Click the grouping field header → Edit property
2

Drag options

Drag options up or down to reorder columns

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Customizing Card Appearance

Control what information appears on each card:
1

Open settings

Click the ⚙️ icon in the toolbar → Card Layout
2

Toggle fields

Check/uncheck fields to show or hide them on cards
3

Reorder properties

Drag fields to change their order on cards

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Card Display Options

  • Card size: Compact or comfortable spacing
  • Cover images: Show/hide cover images on cards
  • Field visibility: Choose which properties appear
  • Field order: Arrange properties in the order that makes sense
Keep cards clean by only showing essential fields. Users can click cards to see all details.

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Grouping Options

Change how your board is organized:

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Changing the Grouping Field

1

Open settings

Click ⚙️ → Group by
2

Select field

Choose a different Single Select or Checkbox field
3

Board reorganizes

Columns update automatically based on the new field

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Checkbox Grouping

When grouping by a Checkbox field, you get two columns:
  • Checked: Cards with checkbox enabled
  • Unchecked: Cards with checkbox disabled
Perfect for simple workflows like:
  • Done / Not Done
  • Published / Draft
  • Approved / Pending

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Filtering and Sorting

Refine what cards appear on your board:

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Filters

1

Add filter

Click Filter in toolbar → + Add filter
2

Set conditions

Choose field, operator, and value (e.g., “Priority is High”)
3

Combine filters

Add multiple filters with AND logic
Example filters:
  • Show only cards assigned to you
  • Hide completed tasks
  • Display only high-priority items

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Sorting

1

Add sort

Click Sort in toolbar → + Add sort
2

Choose field

Select which field to sort by
3

Set direction

Choose ascending or descending order
Sorting determines card order within each column, not column order.

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Hidden Groups

Manage columns you want to hide temporarily:
1

Hide a group

Click ⋯ on column header → Hide group
2

Access hidden groups

Click Hidden groups at the right edge of the board
3

Restore group

Click Show on any hidden group to restore it
Use hidden groups to temporarily remove “Done” or “Archived” columns without deleting them.

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Board View Settings

Access all board customization options: Click ⚙️ in the toolbar to configure:
  • Properties: Choose visible fields
  • Card layout: Adjust card size and appearance
  • Group by: Change the grouping field
  • Field settings: Manage field visibility and order
  • View options: Show/hide calculation rows

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Common Use Cases

Task Management

Track tasks through stages: To Do → In Progress → Done

Project Pipeline

Manage projects: Ideas → Planning → In Progress → Completed

Content Calendar

Move content: Draft → Review → Scheduled → Published

Sales Pipeline

Track deals: Lead → Qualified → Proposal → Closed

Bug Tracking

Manage issues: Reported → Triaged → In Progress → Fixed

Hiring Pipeline

Track candidates: Applied → Phone Screen → Interview → Offer

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Keyboard Shortcuts

ActionShortcut
Create cardCtrl/Cmd + Enter
Open cardEnter
Move card up/down↑ / ↓
Move card left/right← / →
Select cardClick or navigate with arrows
Delete cardDelete or Backspace

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Tips and Best Practices

Limit columns

Keep 3-6 columns for clarity. More columns = harder to see workflow

Use colors

Assign meaningful colors to status options for visual clarity

Hide done work

Hide completed columns or filter them out to focus on active work

Set WIP limits

Mentally track work-in-progress limits per column for better flow
Create multiple board views with different filters for different team members or projects.

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Next Steps

Grid View

View the same data in spreadsheet format

Calendar View

Switch to calendar for date-based planning

Databases

Learn more about database fundamentals

Templates

Save your board as a reusable template

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