Checklists in Markdown
We’ve extended the Markdown syntax to support checklists. When added to an issue description, comment, or work item, a checklist with interactive checkboxes is displayed in the issue. Use checklists to track activities that contribute to issue completion without creating separate issues for subtasks.
This feature is available on an experimental basis. However, there isn't an option to enable or disable this feature on the Features Configuration page. Instead, it is simply enabled by default for all users.
This feature is not fully supported in older issue views. On the classic version of the full page issue view, the checkboxes are displayed but are not interactive. For the best user experience, users who want to add checklists to issues should switch to the Redesigned Full Page View.
Formatting Checklists
Checklists are not supported in the CommonMark specification. This functionality has been implemented with an extension. While similar to the Task list items (extension) in GitHub Flavored Markdown, the implementation in YouTrack is slightly different.
Use the following syntax to create checklists:
Start a checklist just as you would an unordered list. Enter a minus sign (-), asterisk (*), or plus sign (+) at the beginning of the line. This is interpreted as a list item marker.
- Follow the list item marker with one or more spaces, a left bracket ([), either a whitespace character or the lowercase letter x, and then a right bracket (]). This is interpreted as a checklist item marker.
If the character between the brackets is a whitespace character, the checkbox is unchecked.
If the character between the brackets is a lowercase letter x, the checkbox is checked.
Enter an arbitrary string of text following the checklist item marker. The text is displayed inline with the checkbox.
TODO:
* [x] This item is marked as complete. The checkbox is checked.
- [ ] This item is incomplete. The checkbox is unchecked.
+ [ ] As with unordered lists, you can start the line with an asterisk, minus sign, or plus sign.
- [ ] Nest checklist items with two spaces.
- [ ] Checklists support multiple levels of nesting.