Checklist Templates

Summary

Checklist templates define reusable task lists that can be applied to work orders. Each template contains numbered tasks that technicians complete during a job. Tasks can be marked as safety-critical, meaning they must be completed before sign-off. Each task can also carry a time estimate in minutes, which Torqueflow uses to size the diary slot when the checklist is booked. You can attach templates to your services, so booking a Full Service puts its checks on the work order. One template can be attached to several services. To make a variation of an existing template, duplicate it.

A checklist is a list of tasks to tick off as done. A vehicle health check is a separate inspection where each item gets a Red, Amber or Green verdict, built from its own templates. See Doing a vehicle health check.

Prerequisites

• You are signed in as a user with the settings.access capability (typically the Owner or Manager role).
• Your organisation has been set up in Torqueflow.

Steps

Viewing Checklist Templates

1. Click Settings in the main navigation.
2. Click Checklist Templates.
3. The page shows a card titled Templates with a count, for example “4 templates defined.”
4. Each template in the list displays:
   • Template name.
   • Description (if set).
   • Number of tasks (e.g. “5 tasks”).
   • The total time estimate, if any task carries one (e.g. “est. 1 hour 30 minutes”, or “est. 45 minutes from 3 of 5 tasks” when some tasks have none).
   • Safety-critical count as a badge (e.g. “2 safety-critical”).
   • An Inactive badge if the template has been deactivated.
   • Creation date, in your garage’s date format.
5. If no templates exist, the page reads “No checklist templates yet” with “Create a template to define your first checklist.”

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Creating a Template

1. Click the Create template button (top right of the page).
2. A dialog opens with the title “Create checklist template”. The template details sit on the left and the task list on the right. On a phone they stack.
3. Fill in the fields:

Field	Required	Description
Template name	Yes	A short name (max 100 characters). Examples: B Service, MOT Prep.
Description	No	When to use this template (max 500 characters).

4. The Tasks section starts with one blank task row.
5. For each task:
   • Enter a task description (required, max 500 characters).
   • Optionally, enter an estimate in the min box. This is your garage’s own planning figure, in whole minutes. Leave it blank for no estimate.
   • Turn on Safety-critical if the task must be completed before sign-off.
6. Click Add task to add more task rows.
7. To remove a task, click the bin icon on its row. The bin icon is hidden when only one task is left.
8. Tasks are numbered automatically in the order they appear.
9. Click Create template to save. Click Cancel to discard.

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Editing a Template

1. Click the three-dot menu icon on the template row.
2. Select Edit.
3. The “Edit checklist template” dialog loads the full template with all its tasks.
4. You can change:
   • Template name and Description.
   • The Active switch. Inactive templates cannot be applied to new work orders.
   • Individual task descriptions, time estimates and safety-critical switches.
   • Add new tasks with Add task.
   • Remove tasks with the bin icon. A removed task stays removed when you save.
   • Reorder tasks by removing and re-adding them in the desired order.
5. Click Save changes to update. Click Cancel to discard.

Changes do not affect work orders the template has already been applied to.

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Duplicating a Template

Use this when you want a variation of a template you already have, such as a B Service built from your A Service.

1. Click the three-dot menu icon on the template row.
2. Select Duplicate.
3. A copy appears straight away, named after the original with “-Copy” on the end, for example “A Service-Copy”. If that name is taken, the copy is called “-Copy-2”, “-Copy-3” and so on. A message confirms the new name.
4. Open the copy with Edit to rename it and change its tasks.

The copy carries the original’s description and every task, with their estimates and safety-critical switches. It keeps the original’s Active or Inactive state. It is not attached to any services, so booking a service never brings both lists. Attach the copy to services yourself if you want it there.

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Deleting a Template

1. Click the three-dot menu icon on the template row.
2. Select Delete.
3. A confirmation dialog appears: “Delete “[template name]”? This cannot be undone.”
4. The dialog notes that tasks already added to work orders from this template are not affected.
5. Click Delete to confirm or Cancel to keep the template.
6. If any of your services still lists the template, the delete is refused with a message such as “This checklist is used by 2 services. Deactivate it instead of deleting it, or remove it from those services first.” Deactivating keeps it attached to those services but hides it from new work orders.

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Attaching a Template to a Service

Templates are attached from the service, not from this page.

1. Go to Settings > Services and open the service.
2. In What this service includes, select Add checklists and tick the templates.
3. Save the service.

When staff pick that service while booking in the scheduler, or while creating a work order, the template’s tasks are added to the work order. Inactive templates are not added. See Manage Services and Pricing.

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What the time estimates do

Each task’s estimate is your garage’s own figure for how long that check takes. It is never put on an invoice. Do not copy a manufacturer’s time from Haynes Pro into it.

• When you book a service in the scheduler, the estimates on the checks that service brings are added up. The booking is offered the longest of that total, the service’s own booked length and any pulled service schedule.
• When a template is applied to a work order, each task keeps its estimate. When you later book that work order in the scheduler, the estimates on the tasks still to do are added up to suggest the slot length.
• A figure the booker types always wins.
• A task with no estimate adds nothing. The service picker shows, for example, “est. 2 hours from 6 of 8 checks” when some checks have no estimate.

Expected Outcome

• Created templates appear in the templates list with the correct task count and safety-critical badge.
• A duplicated template appears in the list with “-Copy” on its name.
• Templates are available for selection when creating or editing work orders.
• Inactive templates do not appear in work order template selection.
• Deleting a template does not remove tasks already applied to existing work orders.

Troubleshooting

Problem: You cannot access the Checklist Templates page. Cause: Your user role does not have the settings.access capability. Fix: Ask your administrator to assign a role with settings.access. See the Roles and Permissions guide.

Problem: The Create template button does not appear. Cause: Same permission issue as above. Fix: Ensure your role includes settings.access.

Problem: A template shows as Inactive and cannot be selected on work orders. Cause: The template was deactivated via the Active toggle in the edit dialog. Fix: Edit the template and turn the Active switch back on.

Problem: Deleting a template fails with “This checklist is used by N services” or “This checklist is still in use and cannot be deleted”. Cause: At least one service still lists the template. Deleting it would silently strip it from those services, so Torqueflow refuses. Fix: Turn the template’s Active switch off instead. If you really want it gone, remove it from each service in Settings > Services first, then delete it.

Problem: You cannot remove a task from the template. Cause: At least one task is required per template, so the last task has no bin icon. Fix: Add a replacement task first, then remove the unwanted one.

Problem: “Estimated minutes must be a whole number from 1 to …” Cause: The estimate box only takes whole minutes above zero. Fix: Enter a whole number of minutes, or leave the box blank for no estimate.

Problem: An error message shows where the templates list should be. Cause: A temporary fault stopped the list loading. Your templates are not lost. The page no longer shows “No checklist templates yet” when loading fails. Fix: Refresh the page. Do not re-create templates that you know exist.

Notes

• Safety-critical tasks are enforced at sign-off. Technicians must complete all safety-critical items before the work order can be signed off.
• Template changes (edits, deactivation, deletion) do not affect tasks already applied to existing work orders.
• Deleting a template used to always work. Since September 2026 a template that any service lists cannot be deleted until you remove it from those services.
• Tasks are ordered by their position in the form. The numbering updates automatically when you add or remove tasks.

Permissions

Action	Required Capability
View, create, edit, duplicate, delete checklist templates	settings.access