Note: this content type was previously called "Guides." It's now called "Checklists" — this article uses the current name throughout.
Whale Checklists can do more than document a process — you can run them as interactive checklists, turning your step-by-step content into actionable workflows. This makes it easier for team members to follow processes in real time—and for managers to track exactly what's been completed and what's still in progress.
Whether you're onboarding new hires, training customer support reps, or walking someone through a compliance process, this brings together the clarity of a step-by-step walkthrough with the accountability of a checklist—all in one place.
📋 How to Run a Checklist
Step 1: Record or Upload a Video
Use the existing Checklist creation flow—either record your screen or upload a video, and Whale's AI will automatically break it down into steps with screenshots and descriptions — or create a checklist from scratch.
Step 2: Checklist Settings
Go to the edit mode of your checklist and click the 3-dotted menu to open the settings. There you can toggle the option to run the checklist on or off.
Step 3: Run the Checklist
Users will now see a "Run this Checklist" button at the top.
Once clicked, they can:
Give the run a title, i.e.: Safety Gear Thomas - End of Year Tax Crane 0023 - Onboarding Checklist Brenda,...
Work through each step
Check off each item as they complete it
Track their own progress—or pick up where they left off
📊 While running through a checklist, Whale shows a live progress indicator with the count of remaining/unchecked items (e.g. "3 of 8 remaining"), so users always know how much is left to complete.
Step 4: Complete the checklist
Save and Close: Intermediately save the checklist. You can come back to it later. You can't start the same checklist again as long as you have an ongoing run.
Submit: Complete the checklist and submit the results. The run is finished. You can start this checklist again.
📊 Manager View: Monitor Progress at a Glance
From the analytics tab you can follow up on your checklist runs:
✅ Who completed which steps
🕓 Who is still in progress
❌ Who hasn't started
💬 Are there any comments
📈 Example: After launching a new support tool, track how many agents have completed the "Zendesk Configuration Checklist" by the end of the week.
🧠 When Should You Turn On Run Mode?
🎓 Onboarding Sequences
Ensure every new hire completes the same process, step by step.
🛠 Technical Setups
Walk through tools or platform installations with built-in verification.
🔁 Recurring Processes
Use Checklists for monthly, quarterly, or annual tasks that require consistent execution.
📞 Customer-Facing Playbooks
Give your team structured ways to follow outreach or issue-resolution steps.
💡 Tip: Combine with User Groups
Assign specific runnable Checklists to user groups (e.g. Sales, CS, Engineering) and track progress by department. This lets you roll out training or processes at scale—with full visibility.
Whale helps teams do the right things, the right way—every time.
You get the clarity of a screen-recorded walkthrough and the structure of a task list, all while keeping everyone aligned and accountable.