Kanban for software work
Kanban for Developers
Pull a task, ship it, pull the next. A kanban workflow built around how code actually gets written, reviewed, and merged.
Play with a real board
Click a task to select it. N adds, E edits, D deletes, and Left/Right moves the selected task between columns.
To Do
5Try dragging me to In Progress →
Use the mouse or keyboard to move tasks across columns.
Press N to add a task
Create new work without leaving the keyboard.
Press E to edit the selected task
Change titles or descriptions inline.
Press D to delete it
Remove tasks once the work is done.
Your agent could move this to Done over MCP
This board is the same shape your agent can use in Kanboard.
In Progress
0Done
0A workflow that fits how you ship
Keyboard-first, like your editor
Navigate with Vim-style H/J/K/L, create tasks with N, edit with E, and reach any action from the Cmd+K command palette. Managing the board feels like using your editor, not filling in forms.
Columns that match how code ships
To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done. The board mirrors the life of a branch, so a glance tells you what is being written, what is waiting on review, and what shipped.
WIP limits stop branch sprawl
Limit In Progress to a couple of tasks. Finish and merge before starting the next thing. Less context switching, fewer stale branches, faster cycle time.
AI agents as teammates
Connect Claude Code or Codex over MCP. Agents read the backlog, claim tasks, and move them across the board while you review the output. One board coordinates humans and agents.
Set up a developer kanban board
Create the four columns
To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done. Kanboard creates these by default when you press Cmd+Shift+P to start a project.
Break work into shippable tasks
Each card should end in a merged PR: a feature slice, a bug fix, a refactor. Order the backlog by priority, top card first.
Limit In Progress and pull
Keep at most two or three cards in flight. Press N to add tasks, H/J/K/L to navigate, and arrow keys to move a card as its branch advances.
Optionally, hand the backlog to your agents
Connect Claude Code or Cursor over MCP and let agents pick up well-specified tasks while you review. See the Kanban for AI Agents guide for the full setup.
New to the method? Read what is kanban for the fundamentals, compare it with sprints in kanban vs scrum, or go deeper on agent workflows in kanban for AI agents and Claude Code kanban, Codex kanban, or Cursor kanban.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does kanban work well for software development?+
Development work is a flow of discrete, finishable tasks: features, bugs, refactors, reviews. Kanban matches that shape. You pull one task, take it to done, and pull the next. WIP limits keep you off the five-half-finished-branches treadmill, and the board shows exactly where every change sits.
What columns should a developer's kanban board have?+
Start with To Do, In Progress, In Review, and Done. In Review earns its place in a developer workflow because code review and CI are where tasks actually wait. Add more columns only when a real stage in your process needs one.
How is kanban different from GitHub Issues or a bug tracker?+
Issue trackers are databases of everything ever filed. A kanban board is the working set: the small slice you have decided to do next, ordered by priority, with its current stage visible. Many developers keep issues as the archive and run day-to-day work on a board.
Can my AI coding agents work the same board?+
With Kanboard, yes. The board is exposed over MCP, so agents like Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor can list tasks, pick up the top of the backlog, and move cards as they work. You plan and review; agents execute in the same flow you do.
Is kanban overkill for a solo developer?+
No, it is the lightest process that still works. There are no ceremonies or roles: just columns, cards, and a WIP limit. Solo developers get the main benefit, which is always knowing what to work on next, at nearly zero overhead.