Checklist template

When to use

• Shelf: build/checklists/<topic>/
• kind: checklist
• Diátaxis mode: reference / verification (confirms procedure completed)
• Readers served: launch gates, QA sign-off, agents treating unchecked items as blockers

Design rationale

• Trigger + source link upfront — checklists must say when to run and which procedure they verify (aviation checklist pattern — challenge-response).
• Grouped sections — long flat lists fail scanning; group by subsystem or phase (NN/g grouping).
• Sign-off section — explicit human or ticket closure for audit (SOP evidence pattern).
• Verifiable items only — each - [ ] must be observable, not vague (“tested enough”) (SMART verification criteria).
• Same blocker rule as playbook steps — unchecked = do not proceed (writing-style checklist gate).

Copy-paste skeleton

---
title: "Checklist title"
description: One sentence — what this checklist verifies before you proceed.
sidebar:
  label: "Checklist title"
  order: N
category: <topic>
kind: checklist
status: current
tags: [checklist, topic]
---

**Use when:** &lt;trigger — e.g. before prod deploy, after vendor update&gt;.
**Source procedure:** [Playbook step](/tech-stack/laravel/codecanyon/build/playbooks/setup-new/) or [SOP](/zajlibrary/navigation/library-shelves/resources/reference/build-sops/)

## Before you start

- [ ] &lt;prerequisite&gt;

## &lt;Section name&gt;

- [ ] &lt;verifiable item — how to confirm&gt;
- [ ] …

## Sign-off

- [ ] All sections complete
- [ ] Evidence recorded (&lt;where&gt;)

:::caution[Do not skip]
Unchecked items are blockers — same rule as playbook step checklists.
:::

Anti-patterns

• Do not use prose paragraphs instead of checkboxes for verifications.
• Do not orphan checklists without link to source playbook/SOP/runbook.
• Do not mix teaching narrative — link out for context.

Worked example

• Staging first deploy — grouped - [ ] sections, sign-off, source procedure link

Sources

• The Checklist Manifesto (Atul Gawande) — verification under complexity.
• Diátaxis — Reference documentation — checklists as lookup verification artifacts.
• Google developer documentation style guide — Procedures — observable pass criteria.
• Writing style → Playbook step pages — shared blocker semantics.
• Writing style → Doc-type spines