Build a public roadmap

Show users what's planned, in progress, and complete, updated automatically as post statuses change.

DU
Demo User
Written By Demo UserLast updated 2 months ago

Show users what you're building. A public roadmap builds trust. Users can see what's planned, in progress, and complete, and follow updates on features they care about.

How it works

A roadmap is a saved view, not a list you curate by hand. You define a base filter (which boards, tags, statuses, or segments qualify) and a set of columns. Any post that matches the filter shows up in the matching column automatically. There's no "add to roadmap" step.

Note:
Posts appear and disappear from a roadmap only because their status, board, tags, or segment changed, not because someone added or removed them. Deleting a roadmap never touches the underlying posts.

Create a roadmap

You can have multiple roadmaps for different purposes (e.g., "Product Roadmap", "API Roadmap").

  1. Go to Admin → Roadmap
  2. Click the + button in the sidebar
  3. Fill in the details:

    • Name - Display name (e.g., "Product Roadmap")
    • Layout - Status columns or date periods (see below)
    • Description - Optional description
    • Visibility - Public, team only, or customer segments
  4. Set the base filter - which statuses, boards, tags, or segments a post must match to appear at all
  5. For a status-columns roadmap, choose which statuses become columns
  6. Click Create

Choose a layout

Each roadmap uses one of two layouts:

Status columns groups posts by status, kanban-style. Each column maps to one status. When creating a new roadmap, columns are pre-filled from statuses with "Show on Roadmap" enabled, but you can add, remove, rename, recolor, and reorder columns for that roadmap independently.

Date periods groups posts by their target ship date (eta) into monthly, quarterly, or semiannual buckets, plus a "No ETA" bucket for posts without one. Set the eta on a post's detail page, or by dragging its card between buckets.

Tip:
Use status columns for most roadmaps. Date periods work well when your team commits to ship dates and wants users to see a timeline instead of a workflow stage.

Move posts between columns

Drag and drop still works, but it changes the post's underlying field instead of a roadmap-only placement:

  • On a status columns roadmap, dragging a card to another column changes the post's status.
  • On a date periods roadmap, dragging a card to another bucket sets (or clears) the post's eta.

Either way, the change is visible everywhere that status or eta appears, including Feedback and the public roadmap.

Tip:
This is the fastest way to update multiple posts at once. Great for sprint planning sessions.

Roadmap visibility

Each roadmap has one of three visibility settings:

Setting

Who can see it

Public

Everyone visiting your portal

Team only

Only team members (indicated by a lock icon in the sidebar)

Customer segments

Only visitors in the segments you select

Tip:
Use a team-only roadmap for internal planning, then move items to your public roadmap when you're ready to announce them by adjusting the base filter or visibility.

What users see

On your public roadmap, users can see:

  • Post title
  • Vote count
  • Board
  • Target date, if the post has an eta

Users do NOT see:

  • Internal notes
  • Team comments
  • Assignment details

Best Practices

Keep It Updated

Warning:
An outdated roadmap undermines trust. Regularly:

  • Move completed items to your "Complete" status
  • Refine your base filter so newly planned items qualify automatically
  • Retire statuses or tags that no longer belong on the roadmap

Show Meaningful Items Only

Scope your base filter so the roadmap doesn't fill with minor tasks. Focus on:

  • Major features
  • Popular requests (high vote count)
  • Significant improvements

Avoid Specific Dates

Tip:
Unless you're certain, avoid committing to dates. Instead use:

  • Status columns for most roadmaps
  • Date periods only when you're confident in the eta
  • A "No ETA" bucket for ideas still under consideration

Celebrate Completed Items

Keep recently completed items visible temporarily:

  • Users see progress happening
  • Builds confidence in your team
  • Narrow your base filter to exclude old completed posts once they've been up for a while

Communicate Changes

When plans change (and they will):

  • Update the post's status or eta promptly, since the roadmap reflects it immediately
  • Add comments to affected posts explaining why
  • Notify subscribers of significant shifts

Edit a roadmap

  1. Hover over a roadmap in the sidebar
  2. Click the ... menu button
  3. Select Edit
  4. Update the name, layout, description, base filter, columns, or visibility
  5. Click Save

Delete a roadmap

  1. Hover over a roadmap in the sidebar
  2. Click the ... menu button
  3. Select Delete
  4. Confirm deletion

Note:
Deleting a roadmap only removes the saved view. The posts it showed are untouched because roadmap placement is derived from their fields, not stored on the roadmap.

Drive engagement by linking to your roadmap from your app:

  • Footer links
  • Help menu
  • Feature request buttons

This turns your roadmap into a living communication channel with users.

Next Steps

  • Statuses - Configure statuses and which ones seed new roadmap columns
  • Feedback - Triage feedback and set the status or eta that drives roadmap placement
  • Integrations - Get notified on status changes

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