--- title: "Checklist Item Settings" slug: "checklist-item-settings" description: "Optimize your application process in Slate with custom checklist items tailored to your institution's unique requirements, from academic transcripts to recommendations." tags: ["Applications", "Materials", "Checklists"] updated: 2026-03-27T21:11:16Z published: 2026-03-27T21:11:16Z --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Checklist Item Settings To insert or edit a checklist item, go to **Database → Checklists**. Select **Insert**to create a new checklist item, or select an existing one to edit it. #### Status Select **Active**to enable the checklist item for use. **Inactivate**checklist items that are no longer used without fear of losing data associated with them. #### Folder Keep your checklist items organized by putting them in a folder. Select **Other**to create a new folder. #### Scope Scope describes the entity to which the checklist item is related. - **Person/Application**: Items associated with an individual person or application record - **School**: Items associated with an individual school record on the person record. School-scoped checklist items can be added to schools based on their rank, level of study, or degree. They can only be fulfilled by a school-scoped material. For more information on school-scoped checklist items, see [Assigning Checklist Items](/v1/docs/assigning-checklist-items). #### Group (optional) Group impacts how checklist items are assigned and removed. When certain checklist items are always assigned together, they should be in the same group. A single rule will determine the criteria for adding the group of items to an applicant’s checklist, and that group will be removed from the checklist if an applicant ceases to qualify for that rule. Use this setting to group checklist items together that are applied to defined groups of records to consolidate the checklist rule writing process. For example, international applications, transfer applications, or non-degree applications. Group names cannot include spaces. For example, enter `First_Year` for first year applications. #### Section Where a folder is an internal way to categorize checklist items, a checklist section is a primarily external way to do so. Checklist items can be separated out by section in the [applicant status portal](/v1/docs/custom-applicant-status-portal) using a [Checklist by Section widget](/v1/docs/custom-checklist-sections). If you do not use custom checklist sections, all items will remain in a default section of **Material**. To create a new checklist section, open the setting and click **Other**to type in a new section name if one does not exist yet. The following sections are automatically populated in your database and have special properties: - **Financial Aid**: This section must be used to tracks financial aid checklist items when importing [Financial Aid checklist items](/v1/docs/financial-aid-checklist) - **Form**: The Form checklist section should selected when a Slate form is being added to the applicant checklist. - **Transcript, Reference, or School Report (Special Use Only)**: A checklist item in a Special Use Only checklist section should only be created to turn off automatically-generated checklist items in Slate (e.g., school-specific transcripts, references, etc.). They need to remain inactive and *do not*represent actual checklist items. > [!CAUTION] > 🔔**Important!** Read and understand the implications of [auto-generated checklist items](/docs/auto-generated-checklist-items-system-materials) before selecting any *Special use only*sections from the list. #### Subject Enter the name that appears on the *Checklist*section of the applicant status portal. #### URL If the checklist item has a related URL, such as a link to a PDF an applicant should read or a non-Slate website they should visit, list it here. Adding a URL will make this checklist item appear as a link to a website. Only link to non-Slate destinations. > [!WARNING] > 📝 Note > > Do not use a vanity Slate URL. Updating the URL to a vanity URL changes it from `/apply` to `/register`, which lets applicants fill out the form multiple times when configured as a checklist item. > [!TIP] > 💫 **Best practice:**If you want a Slate form to be a checklist item, use the **Form**section and select any application- or person-scoped form from the **Form** dropdown. #### Key Enter a unique, computer-friendly identifier (lowercase and underscores only). Internally-facing. > [!CAUTION] > 🔔 **Important!**Do not change this ID after creating the checklist item. #### Order Specify the order in which checklist items are listed. #### Material Fulfillment 1-5 Select up to five material types that fulfills a checklist requirement. That is, if an applicant uploads a material of one of the five specified material types to a record, the checklist item is marked as *received*. The materials available in these lists are limited to those of the checklist item’s scope. If you select more than one material type, an applicant only needs one of these items to fulfill the checklist item. Think of these settings as `OR`s, rather than `AND`s. > [!WARNING] > 📝 **Note**: This menu only displays custom materials created in **Database → Materials**. #### Material Fulfillment Rank Enter a number specifying which material type fulfills the checklist item. For example, a material fulfillment rank of `1` on a checklist item for letter of recommendation indicates that the first letter of recommendation associated with the record fulfills the checklist item. Another example: let's say you’ve created two checklist items: - Letter of Recommendation 1 - Letter of Recommendation 2 Let's also assume you have a generic *material*of type `Letter of Recommendation`*.* If each separate checklist item (`Letter of Recommendation 1` and `Letter of Recommendation 2`) uses the custom *material* of `Letter of Recommendation` for one of the material fulfillment settings, then **both**Letter of Recommendation checklist items would be fulfilled when only **one** Letter of Recommendation material**is present. To avoid this, the **Material Fulfillment Rank** setting for `Letter of Recommendation 1` should be set to `1`. The **Material Fulfillment Rank** setting for `Letter of Recommendation 2` should be set to `2`, and so on. This way, when *one* letter of recommendation *material* is present on a person's record, only the `Letter of Recommendation 1` checklist item will be fulfilled. If another `Letter of Recommendation` *material* comes in (bringing the total number of Letter of Recommendation materials to two), the `Letter of Recommendation 2` **checklist** item would then be fulfilled. #### Test Fulfillment 1-3 If this checklist item can be fulfilled by a test score, select that test from the list. Up to three different tests can be selected as potential fulfillment options for each checklist item. Only verified test scores (that is, not self-reported scores) will fulfill a checklist item satisfied by test fulfillment. #### Form Fulfillment If a checklist item in the **Material** section, or any custom checklist section, can be fulfilled by the submission of a form, select that form from the list. > [!CAUTION] > 🔔 Important! > > - Leave this setting blank if you specified a form for the checklist item by selecting a checklist section of **Form*.*** > - If the form you select contains a [vanity URL](/docs/creating-a-form#form-management), applicants will be able to submit the form more than once on a status portal. #### XML Configuration Leave blank unless following instructions for a [financial aid checklist](/docs/financial-aid-checklist) or [custom checklist status.](/docs/custom-checklist-statuses) #### Type Select to 'Public' to display the checklist item on the status page. If the applicant should see the checklist item on his/her checklist, set this to 'Public.' If this checklist item should only be seen internally by administrative staff, set to 'Private (internal only).' #### Optional Select to display the checklist item displays as *Optional*on the applicant’s status page. If a checklist item is optional—that is, it is not required for an applicant to move forward in the review process—select *Optional.* If the checklist item is critical for the review process, select *Required*. #### Optional for Reading Select *Optional for reading*to display the checklist item to the applicant as required, while allowing the reading process to continue without its submission. For example, a mid-year transcript might be required, but it’s absence wouldn’t need to hold up the reading process. Otherwise, select *Required for reading*. #### Export Key A checklist item may be given an export key that can be returned in a query. If required for an external SIS, enter that value here.