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Definitions Overview

Definitions (also called templates) are pre-built project configurations that you can install from the Kiket Marketplace. They provide ready-to-use workflows, boards, issue types, dashboards, and automation recipes for common use cases like Scrum, Kanban, e-commerce operations, and marketing workflows.

What's in a Definition?

A definition is a .kiket/ directory containing YAML configuration files that describe your project setup:

.kiket/
├── project.yml           # Project metadata and settings
├── workflows/
│   └── default.yml       # State machines, transitions, approvals
├── boards/
│   └── main.yml          # Kanban/Scrum board layouts
├── dashboards/
│   └── overview.yml      # Analytics dashboards
├── queries/
│   └── velocity.yml      # Custom analytics queries
├── automation_recipes/
│   └── auto-assign.yml   # Workflow automations
└── modules/
    └── custom/           # Custom data schemas
        └── schema.yml

Definitions vs Extensions

Aspect Definition (Template) Extension
Scope Project-specific Organization-wide
What it provides Workflows, boards, dashboards, automations Integrations with external services
Installation Creates a Workflow Repository synced from GitHub Connects to external APIs via webhooks
Updates Re-sync from template repository Extension updates via marketplace
Examples Scrum template, Kanban template Slack, GitHub, Jira integrations

Available Templates

Methodology Templates

  • Scrum - Sprint-based workflow with backlog, sprint planning, daily standups, and retrospectives
  • Kanban - Flow-based workflow with WIP limits and continuous delivery
  • Scrumban - Hybrid approach combining Scrum ceremonies with Kanban flow

Industry Templates

  • E-commerce Operations - Order management, inventory tracking, fulfillment workflows
  • Marketing Operations - Campaign management, content calendars, approval workflows
  • Customer Support - Ticket triage, escalation paths, SLA tracking

Installation Methods

From the Marketplace

  1. Browse to Marketplace → Templates
  2. Select a template that fits your needs
  3. Click Use this template
  4. Choose an existing project from the dropdown
  5. A Workflow Repository is created pointing to the template's GitHub repository
  6. The template is synced and configuration is applied automatically

After installation, you can view the sync status in Settings → Workflow Repositories. The template's workflows, boards, and dashboards will be available once sync completes.

Template Updates

Since templates are synced via Workflow Repositories, you can re-sync at any time to get the latest version. Go to Settings → Workflow Repositories and click Sync Now on the template repository.

Quick Start During Project Setup

When you connect a GitHub repository that doesn't have a .kiket/ folder, Kiket offers a streamlined template installation:

  1. Create a project and connect your GitHub repository
  2. Kiket syncs the repository and detects the missing .kiket/ folder
  3. The Workflow Setup Required page appears with template options
  4. Choose a template from the "Quick Start" section, or browse all templates
  5. Click Use Template to install directly to your project
  6. Workflows, boards, and dashboards are created automatically

This flow is ideal for: - Teams new to Kiket who want to get started quickly - Projects that store code but not workflow configuration in their repos - Organizations evaluating different methodologies

Pre-selection

If you access the marketplace from the project setup page, your project is automatically pre-selected. You can also pass ?project_id=123 to the templates URL to pre-select a project.

From a GitHub Repository

If you have your own .kiket/ configuration:

  1. Go to Settings → Workflow Repositories
  2. Connect your GitHub repository
  3. Kiket will sync and apply the configuration automatically

Via CLI

# Apply a marketplace template
kiket templates install scrum --project my-project

# Sync from connected repository
kiket sync --project my-project

Customizing Templates

Templates are a starting point. After installation, you can:

  • Modify workflows - Add/remove states and transitions
  • Customize boards - Change columns, swimlanes, and WIP limits
  • Edit dashboards - Add widgets, change metrics
  • Add automations - Create new automation recipes

Re-syncing Overwrites Changes

If you re-sync a template repository, your customizations will be overwritten with the template's configuration. To preserve customizations, either:

  • Fork the template repository and connect your fork instead
  • Disconnect the template repository after initial setup
  • Create your own .kiket/ configuration in a separate repository

Creating Your Own Templates

You can create custom templates for your organization:

  1. Set up a .kiket/ directory in a GitHub repository
  2. Define your configuration using YAML files (see Configuration Loader Reference)
  3. Connect the repository via Settings → Workflow Repositories
  4. Share with your team by adding team members to the repository

For detailed schema documentation, see: - Workflows - State machine definitions - Boards - Board layout configuration - Projects - Project manifest schema

Version Control Benefits

Since definitions are YAML files in Git repositories:

  • Track changes - Full history of workflow modifications
  • Review changes - Use pull requests for configuration updates
  • Rollback - Revert to previous configurations if needed
  • Branch testing - Test workflow changes in feature branches
  • Consistency - Same configuration across environments

Troubleshooting

Template not applying correctly

  1. Check Settings → Workflow Repositories for sync errors
  2. Run kiket doctor --workflows to validate configuration
  3. Review the sync log for specific file errors

Conflicts with existing configuration

When installing a template on a project with existing configuration: - Workflows with the same key are replaced - Boards with the same key are replaced - Existing issues are migrated to new workflow states where possible

Missing features after installation

Some template features may require: - Specific plan level (check template requirements) - Connected extensions (e.g., GitHub integration for PR workflows) - Team configuration (for assignment rules)