Check-ins Guide - Workunit

What are Check-ins?

Check-ins are recurring prompts that help teams stay aligned without meetings. Create a check-in once, and Workunit automatically sends it to your team at the frequency you choose—daily, weekly, biweekly, or custom intervals.

Key Benefits

Async Communication: Team members respond on their schedule
Context Preservation: Link responses to workunits and assets
Searchable History: Find past updates and track progress over time
Automatic Scheduling: Set it and forget it—no manual reminders needed

Creating Check-ins

Navigate to the Check-ins section and click 'Create Check-in'. You'll configure four key elements:

1. Name Your Check-in

Choose a clear, descriptive name that tells your team what to expect. This appears in email notifications and the check-ins list.

Example Names:

"Weekly Team Status" - General team updates
"Daily Standup" - Quick daily progress reports
"Monthly Product Metrics" - Quantitative updates
"Friday Wins" - Weekly accomplishments celebration

2. Select Frequency

Choose how often this check-in should be sent to subscribers. The frequency determines the next scheduled notification date.

Daily

Every 24 hours. Perfect for standups and quick status updates.

Weekly

Every 7 days. Ideal for team progress reports and planning updates.

Biweekly

Every 14 days. Great for sprint reviews and milestone updates.

Custom

Set your own interval in days. Flexible scheduling for unique team needs.

3. Add Subscribers

Select team members who should receive this check-in. Only subscribers will receive email notifications and can submit responses.

Pro Tip: Start small with a few subscribers. You can always add more later as the check-in proves useful.

4. Write the Question

Write a clear, specific question that guides responses. This is what subscribers see in their email and on the response form.

✓ Good Question:

"What did you work on this week? What's your top priority for next week? Any blockers?"

Specific questions guide focused responses

✗ Weak Question:

"Update?"

Too vague—team won't know what to share

Responding to Check-ins

Email Notifications

When a check-in is due, subscribers receive an email with the check-in question and a direct link to submit their response. The email includes:

Check-in title
Description (if provided)
Reminder about response visibility
"Respond Now" button with direct link
Link to manage notification settings

Submit Your Response

Click the link in the email or navigate to the Check-ins section in Workunit. You'll see:

Response Form: Text area for your update (supports markdown formatting)
Workunit Selector: Optional - link your response to relevant workunits
Asset Selector: Optional - tag related products, systems, or knowledge
Submit Button: Save and publish your response

Your response is immediately visible to the entire team and searchable in the check-in history.

Link Workunits and Assets

One of Workunit's most powerful features is context linking. When you mention work on a specific project or system, link it to the corresponding workunit or asset:

Why Link Context?

Searchability: Find all updates related to a workunit or asset
History: See the timeline of work on specific projects
AI Context: AI assistants can understand what you're working on
Team Awareness: Others can see who's working on what

Example Response with Context:

Completed user authentication implementation (Workunit: Auth System). Fixed critical security issue in token validation (Asset: API Server). Next week focusing on rate limiting.

This response links to "Auth System" workunit and "API Server" asset, making it discoverable in searches.

Managing Check-ins

View Responses

Click any check-in to see all responses. Responses are organized chronologically with the most recent first. Each response shows:

Team member name and avatar
Response timestamp
Full response text (with markdown formatting)
Linked workunits and assets (clickable)

Search Responses

Use the search box and filters to find specific updates across all check-in responses:

Keyword Search

Type keywords in the search box to find responses containing specific words or phrases

Workunit Filter

Use the workunit dropdown to see all updates related to a specific workunit

Asset Filter

Use the asset dropdown to find mentions of specific products or systems

Author Filter

Filter by team member to view all responses from a specific person

Edit Check-ins

Check-in creators can edit settings at any time. Navigate to the check-in and click 'Edit Settings'. You can update:

Name: Change how the check-in appears in emails and lists
Prompt: Refine the questions to get better responses
Frequency: Adjust timing (daily → weekly, etc.)
Subscribers: Add or remove team members

Changing the frequency resets the next scheduled notification date. Past responses are never affected.

Status Management

Check-ins have three status states you can manage:

Active

Check-in sends notifications at the scheduled frequency. Subscribers receive emails and can submit responses.

Paused

Temporarily stops notifications. Use during holidays, team transitions, or when reevaluating the check-in's value. Can be reactivated anytime.

Archived

Marks the check-in as inactive and no longer in use. Archived check-ins can be reactivated if needed, and all responses remain searchable for historical reference.

Best Practices

Get the most value from check-ins by following these proven patterns:

Start Small

Begin with one check-in and a small group. Prove the value before expanding. Too many check-ins become noise.

Be Specific

Clear questions yield useful responses. Ask specific questions rather than vague "what's up?" questions.

Link Context

Always link responses to workunits and assets. This builds a searchable history and improves AI context.

Review Regularly

Read team responses. Check-ins only work if people actually read what others share. Block 10 minutes weekly.

Match Frequency to Need

Daily for fast-moving projects, weekly for standard work, monthly for high-level updates. Don't over-communicate.

Iterate on Questions

If responses are too long or too vague, refine your question. Good questions evolve based on what works.

When NOT to Use Check-ins

Urgent Updates: Use real-time chat or meetings for time-sensitive information
Complex Discussions: Check-ins are for updates, not debates or decision-making
Micro-Management: Don't request hourly or overly detailed updates—trust your team
Replacing Conversation: Check-ins supplement human connection, they don't replace it

Next Steps

Now that you understand check-ins, explore related features:

Workunit Workflows

Link check-in responses to workunits for full context preservation

Managing Assets

Tag responses with relevant products, systems, and knowledge

Collaboration

Understand how check-ins fit into team communication

AI Features

Learn how AI uses check-in responses for context

Need Help with Check-ins?

Check our documentation for more examples or reach out to our support team.

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