"Templates vs runs: how do checklists work?"
Last verified October 18, 2026
A template is the reusable list, like Pit Setup. A run is one team-wide pass through it with its own checkboxes, started by hand or automatically before an event or match. Finished runs go to the Run log.
You need: Manage checklists permission to create or edit templates and set up auto-runs. Anyone on the team can start a run and check items.
Templates and runs
| Template | Run | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The list itself | One use of the list |
| Has checkboxes | No | Yes, shared by the whole team |
| Who edits it | People with Manage checklists | Anyone can check items |
| Where it lives | Templates | Active runs, then Run log |
When a run starts, it copies the template's items. Editing the template later doesn't change runs already in progress or finished, so your history stays accurate.
Create a template
- Open Checklists.
- Click New template and give it a title, or use the arrow beside it to Start from a preset.
- Open the template and type items into Add item….
Each item can have an optional Qty and an optional Role. Items with the same Role are grouped under it as a heading. The template's buttons let you Rename, Duplicate or Delete it. If the same item appears twice, the template warns you with "Listed twice".
The presets are Pit Setup, Competition Packing, Pre-Match, Robot Inspection, Driver Station Setup and End-of-Day Teardown. They come with an auto-run schedule already set, which you can change or turn off.
Start a run by hand
- Click Run on a template.
- Optionally pick an event under Link to an event (optional).
- Click Start run.
The run appears under Active runs. Anyone can tick items, and each checked item shows who checked it. Checks made without a connection are saved on your device and sync when you're back online.
When you're done, click Finish run (at least one item has to be checked). The reset button unchecks everything. People with Manage checklists can also cancel a run.
Auto-runs
A template can start a run on its own and notify the team.
- Open the template and click Run it automatically (it reads Auto-run schedule once set).
- Under Trigger, choose Every scheduled event of a type or Every match on our schedule. Manual only turns it off.
- For events, pick the type: competition, scrimmage, meeting or outreach event.
- Under When, set an amount in minutes, hours or days, before start or after start.
- Click Save.
The template then shows a lightning icon and a summary like "1 hour before start of every competition". Auto-started runs carry the same icon in Active runs.
A few things to know:
- Robolyst checks for due auto-runs every few minutes, so a run can start a little after the exact moment.
- If you set up an auto-run late, it won't start runs for triggers more than 12 hours in the past.
- Cancelled events don't trigger runs.
- Weeks generated from a repeating meeting don't trigger them. One-off events and competitions do.
- Match triggers use your team's matches from the FTC match schedule.
Run log
Finished runs move to Run log, grouped by day. If an item keeps getting skipped across recent runs, a warning appears above the log. Managers can click it to announce it to the team.