Available On: Premium, Professional and Enterprise
Work Orders in UpKeep can include one-time tasks or prebuilt checklist templates to guide technicians through standardized steps. Here's how to use each option — and when to choose one over the other.
What’s the Difference Between a One-Time Task and a Checklist?
Feature | One-Time Task | Checklist Template |
Purpose | Custom, ad-hoc steps for a specific WO | Standardized procedures used across multiple WOs |
Saved for reuse? | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Best for… | One-off inspections, quick jobs | Routine maintenance, compliance steps, audits |
Adding Tasks or Checklists to a Work Order
You can add a task or a checklist when creating a work order or when editing an existing one.
Add During Work Order Creation
Go to Work Orders > Create Work Order
Fill out your core work order details (title, asset, priority, etc.)
Scroll to the Tasks & Checklist section
Choose:
Add Task to enter a one-time, custom task
Add Checklist to select a reusable template
Complete the work order and click Save
If you add both, the checklist will appear as a group of step-by-step tasks, and one-time tasks will show separately. You can also create checklists specifically for periodic or recurring work orders by setting the work order to recur (e.g., monthly or quarterly) and adding checklist items that align with repeated maintenance tasks.
Edit on an Existing Work Order
Open a work order from the list
Scroll to the Tasks section
Select Add
Choose:
Add Task to enter a new custom step.
Add Checklist to pull in a saved template.
You can also edit or remove existing tasks or checklist items.
Click Confirm to update the work order.