Kanban

Definition


The Kanban widget in Zenphi Dashboards is designed to present your table records as visual cards grouped by a “Single Select” field, allowing you to track and manage workflow stages or categories at a glance. Instead of rows or flat lists, each record appears as a card placed under its corresponding group column, such as “To Do”, “In Progress”, or “Done”.

This widget is ideal for scenarios where categorical segmentation and status-based organization are crucial. Each group (or column) represents a distinct value of the selected Single Select column, and records can be viewed and interacted with directly within their categories.

🔑 Key Capabilities:

  • Visually organize records into categorical columns.
  • Display selected fields on each card for quick, contextual understanding.
  • Interact with data using action buttons (run flows, view detail pages).
  • Enable inline actions like Add, Edit, and Delete without leaving the dashboard.
  • Apply conditional filtering and sorting to tailor visibility per user or use case.

Whether you're tracking tasks, sales leads, requests, or content stages, the Kanban widget offers a dynamic, interactive way to monitor categorized data and drive action—right from your dashboard.



Example Use Cases


1. Task Management Dashboard

Visualize team tasks across different statuses (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Completed). Group tasks by their status field and show key information like assignee, due date, and priority on each card. Ideal for operations, project teams, and cross-functional workflows.


2. Sales Pipeline Tracking

Monitor deals at each stage of your sales funnel such as Lead, Contacted, Proposal Sent, Negotiation, and Closed. Group records by deal stage and show client name, value, and sales rep. Enables quick action, follow-ups, and sales process visibility.


3. Hiring Funnel Overview

Track candidates through the recruitment stages like Applied, Screening, Interview, Offer, and Hired. HR teams can group applicants by application status and display role, contact info, and notes on each card for easy candidate management.


4. Bug and Issue Tracking

Organize bugs or support tickets based on priority or status. Group cards by categories such as Open, In Review, Fixed, or Closed, and show reporter name, ticket type, and timestamps. Great for QA or support teams to triage efficiently.


5. Content Creation Workflow

Manage articles, social posts, or campaigns in progress, grouped by content status like Idea, Writing, Editing, Scheduled, and Published. Editors and marketers can view owners, publish dates, and content type directly from the card.


6. Procurement or Purchase Request Flow

Oversee requests through stages such as Submitted, Approved, Ordered, Received. Easily track who requested what, item details, and cost, while grouping by approval status or department.


7. Customer Onboarding Pipeline

Follow clients through the onboarding lifecycle, from Signed, Setup In Progress, First Delivery, to Fully Onboarded. Show account manager, onboarding score, and start date per client card.



Configuration


Setting up the Kanban widget allows you to transform your data into categorized columns of cards that reflect real-time status, stage, or classification. Each configuration element enables a high degree of customization to match exactly how you want your records to be displayed and interacted with.

1. Data Source

To begin, select the Zenphi table from which the Kanban widget will retrieve and display data. This table will serve as the foundation for your cards, including groupings and fields shown on each card.

Note: Only tables within your workspace are available. Make sure your table contains at least one Single Select column to use this widget.


2. Grouping Column

This is the core feature of the Kanban widget. Here, you choose one of your table’s Single Select type columns. Each unique option within this column becomes a column (group) in the Kanban view, and records are displayed under their corresponding group based on the value in that field.

  • Only Single Select columns will appear in this dropdown.
  • Multiple Select columns are not supported for grouping and will not be shown.
  • For example, if your grouping column is Status, your groups might be: To Do, In Progress, Done.
🔄

Dynamic nature: If the values of the selected Single Select field are changed in the table schema, the groups in the Kanban widget will automatically reflect the updated list.


3. Groups to Display

Once the grouping column is selected, all the available options from that field are listed as groups. You can:

  • Choose which groups (statuses/categories) to include or exclude in the widget.
  • Rearrange the order of groups (left to right) by dragging them.
  • Optionally keep or remove the “Other” group that catches records with undefined or unexpected values.

This level of control ensures you only surface the groups relevant to the current dashboard context.


4. Columns to Display on Each Card

In this section, select the fields (columns) from the data source that you want to display inside each card.

  • You can include as many or as few fields as necessary.
  • Fields are displayed in the order you set here.
  • Each record card will show the selected fields, making it easy for viewers to scan and understand the content at a glance.

For example, if you’re managing a hiring pipeline, you might show:

  • Candidate Name
  • Position Applied
  • Interview Date

This ensures that the most critical data is instantly visible to users without needing to open each record.


5. Editing Options

The Editing options control how users can interact with records directly from the Kanban widget.

You can enable the following options via checkboxes:

  • AddDisplays a “+” icon at the top of each group column. When clicked, users can quickly create a new record directly in the corresponding group (i.e., pre-filled with that group's Single Select value).

  • EditAdds an Edit action in the 3-dot menu on each card. Users can modify the data of that record from the dashboard.

  • DeleteAdds a Delete option in the 3-dot menu, allowing users to remove a record directly from the Kanban.

⚠️

Permissions Reminder: These editing options are only available if the logged-in user has permission to modify the data in the selected table.



Action Buttons


The Action Buttons section allows you to add custom, interactive options to each record card in the 3-dot menu (also known as the overflow menu) of the Kanban widget. These buttons let users trigger automations or view record details, adding real operational power to the visual Kanban interface.

You can configure two types of actions:


1. Run Flow

If you have a Zenphi Flow with a Table Action Trigger, it will automatically appear in the list of available flows when configuring this section.

Once added:

  • The selected flow appears as a button in the 3-dot menu for each record card.
  • Clicking the button starts the flow using the data from that record.
  • You can configure multiple flow buttons, each with its own title and color for clarity.

Common Use Cases:

Here are three practical examples of using Run Flow buttons within a Kanban widget:

  1. Trigger an Interview Scheduling FlowIn a candidate pipeline Kanban, trigger a flow that sends an interview invite, updates the calendar, and notifies the hiring panel — all from a candidate's card.

  2. Send a Purchase Request for ApprovalIn a procurement process board, clicking a run flow button on a card labeled “Pending Approval” sends a formal approval request to a manager based on the purchase details in the record.

  3. Generate and Email a ContractIn a sales pipeline Kanban, launch a flow to generate a sales contract PDF and email it to the client when the deal moves to the "Contract Sent" stage.


2. Detail Page

If you have configured Detail Pages in your workspace, they will also appear in the selection list. Once selected:

  • The detail page button is added to the 3-dot menu of each record.
  • Clicking it opens the selected record’s detail view with customized layout, fields, and sections.
  • This allows users to view full data, attachments, comments, or related records.

Common Use Cases:

Here are three helpful ways to use Detail Pages in a Kanban view:

  1. View Candidate Full ProfileIn an HR Kanban board, clicking the "View Profile" button opens a complete view of the applicant, including resume, cover letter, and interview notes.

  2. Check Project Task DetailsIn a project management board grouped by task status, a “Task Details” page shows assignees, progress, due dates, and comments for each task.

  3. Review Expense Claim DocumentsIn an expense workflow board grouped by reimbursement status, a “View Claim” page allows the finance team to view all scanned receipts and justification before approving or rejecting.


For More Information:

To learn how to set up Run Flow and Detail Page action buttons step-by-step, visit:👉 Action Button Section – Zenphi Dashboard Documentation


Appearance


The Appearance settings of the Kanban widget help you control how the widget is visually presented within the dashboard and how users interact with it. These options let you style the widget to either blend seamlessly into your dashboard layout or stand out as a sectioned area of focus.

Widget Border & Layout

Show Widget Border?

  • When enabled, a border appears around the widget, giving it a clear separation from other widgets on the dashboard — ideal for visual grouping.
  • When disabled, the widget appears borderless, making it feel more embedded or integrated into the overall layout. This is perfect for minimal dashboards or embedded views.

Widget Title

Show Widget Title?

  • Toggle this on or off to show/hide the title at the top of the widget.
  • The title helps describe the purpose or content of the Kanban board (e.g., "Hiring Pipeline", "Bug Tracker", or "Task Stages").

Number of Cards to Load

Maximum Cards per List (Column)

  • Use the "Number of Cards to Load" setting to limit how many cards show up per group/list on the Kanban board.

  • You can set this to any number depending on your data needs, performance considerations, or UI preference. For example:

    • Set to 1 to show only the most recent item per group.
    • Set to 10 to preview the top 10 entries in each category.

Note: This setting ensures optimal performance on large datasets and cleaner UI by preventing overload in any column.

Action Button Customization

Each Run Flow or Detail Page action added to the 3-dot menu can be styled individually:

  • Button Title – Customize what each button says (e.g., “Send Email”, “Approve”, “View Details”).
  • Button Color – Choose a color to differentiate each action visually. This improves usability and gives clear visual cues (e.g., green for “approve”, red for “reject”, blue for “view”).

You can add multiple buttons, each with distinct titles and colors, allowing users to take various actions directly from any record card.



Filter Conditions & Sort


The Filter Conditions and Sort settings give you precise control over which records appear in your Kanban widget and how they are ordered. These options ensure your dashboard shows only the most relevant data, tailored to the context of the viewer.


Filter Conditions

You can add multiple conditions to include or exclude records using AND/OR logic.

How It Works:

  1. Choose a field from the data source (i.e., a column from your Zenphi table).

  2. Select a condition operator:

    • Equal to
    • Not equal to
    • Contains
    • Not contains
    • Starts with
    • Ends with
    • Has none of
    • Is null
    • Is not null
  3. Provide a value:

    • This can be hardcoded (e.g., "Open", "High Priority", "[email protected]"), or

    • You can use the token picker to dynamically insert current user data, such as:

      • Current User ID
      • Current User Email
      • Current User Name
      • User Attributes (e.g., whether the user is an admin)

Personalization via Token Picker

Use the token picker to personalize what each user sees. For instance:

  • Show only items assigned to the current user
  • Show department-specific records
  • Hide sensitive entries for non-admins

Filter Examples

  1. Only show tasks assigned to the logged-in user

    • AssigneeEqual to{{Current User Email}}
  2. Exclude completed tasks

    • StatusNot equal toCompleted
  3. Only show tickets with priority “High” or “Critical”

    • PriorityContainsHigh
    • OR
    • PriorityContainsCritical
  4. Only show records if user is an admin

    • Is AdminEqual to{{Current User Is Admin}}

Sort Conditions

The Sort section allows you to define how records appear in each group (list/column) of the Kanban board.

How It Works:

  • Choose one or more columns from your data source to sort by.

  • Select the order for each:

    • A → Z or 0 → 9 (Ascending)
    • Z → A or 9 → 0 (Descending)

Sort Examples:

  1. Sort tasks by due date from nearest to latest

    Due Date → Ascending

  2. Sort applicants by application score from highest to lowest

    Score → Descending

  3. Sort support tickets alphabetically by requester

    Requester Name → A → Z

ℹ️

Sorting applies within each group/column defined by your selected grouping field (e.g., Status, Stage, Category).




Example Scenario: Task Management Dashboard for a Marketing Team


Imagine a marketing team using Zenphi to manage their content production tasks. They’ve created a Zenphi table called “Marketing Tasks” with the following key fields:

  • Task Name (text)
  • Assignee (user)
  • Due Date (date)
  • Priority (single select: Low, Medium, High)
  • Status (single select: To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done)
  • Project (text)

🛠️ Widget Setup

They decide to build a Kanban widget to visualize the team’s workflow in their dashboard. Here’s how they configure it:

Data Source

They connect the widget to their existing “Marketing Tasks” table.

Grouping Column

They choose the Status field (a single select column) to group the cards into stages like To Do, In Progress, In Review, and Done.

Columns to Display on Each Card

Each card shows:

  • Task Name
  • Assignee
  • Due Date
  • Priority

These are arranged for maximum readability, giving team members a quick overview without clicking into each item.

Editing Options

They enable:

  • Add — so team members can quickly add new tasks right from the dashboard.
  • Edit — to allow updates to existing tasks (e.g., changing due dates).
  • Delete — for removing outdated or duplicate entries.

Action Buttons

  1. Run Flow: They add a button called “Remind Assignee” which triggers a Zenphi flow that sends a reminder email to the person assigned to the task.
  2. Detail Page: A “View Task” button links to a pre-configured detail page showing extended task details and comments.

Appearance Settings

  • They hide the widget border to make it blend seamlessly into the dashboard layout.
  • The widget title is shown as “📋 Team Task Board”.
  • They set number of cards to load as 10 per group, balancing performance and visibility.

Filter & Sort

  • They filter tasks so that only those where Due Date is within the next 30 days are shown.
  • They sort tasks by Priority (High → Low), then by Due Date (Soonest First).

🔍 Final Outcome

The result is a clean, actionable dashboard where every marketer can see exactly what’s on their plate, how the entire team is progressing, and easily update or act on tasks. It replaces messy spreadsheets and disconnected tools with a dynamic, real-time Kanban board that lives inside Zenphi.

Whether a campaign manager wants to nudge a teammate, or a content writer needs to review what's due next — it all happens from one place.