Automatic Check-Ins

For asking your team recurring questions and gathering their answers all in one spot.

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Automatic check-ins go out to your team on a regular basis. You can send them daily, weekly, or monthly. Everyone in the Project can see the responses. Automatic check-ins keep teams up to date, and help your users get to know each other better.

At Basecamp, we use automatic check-ins to find out what everyone is up to. Every day, we ask people what they're working on, and what they had for lunch. Once a week, we ask people to take a picture of what they look like that day. Every other Monday, we ask people to share a good recipe. Once a month, we ask what people are reading, because who doesn't need a recommendation for a good book?

A screenshot of the Automatic Check-ins tool with two check-ins.

To set up an automatic check-in, click the Automatic Check-ins card in the Project and click to Set up an automatic check-in.

Type your question, select who should be asked, then select how often and at what time you’d like to ask it.

A screenshot of the edit screen of an automatic check-in

When it's time to answer an automatic check-in, you'll receive a notification.

Best Practice - Use check-ins at the right times in the right spots.

Most projects only need a few check-ins. When you set those up, vary the times and dates throughout the week. It's best to avoid a dozen check-ins set to notify on a Friday morning.

Pause, edit, or delete an automatic check-in

Go to the check-in and click Edit from the  ...  menu in the upper right corner.  

The ••• menu at the top right of a check-in

You can also put a check-in in the trash:

A screenshot of the ••• menu at the top right of a check-in with an arrow pointing toward the trash option.

To pause, click the Stop asking this question link:

The edit check-in screen with an arrow pointing toward the option to stop asking the question.

To start asking that question again, click the Start asking this question link:

A screenshot of The edit check-in screen with an arrow pointing toward the option to start asking the question.

Unsubscribe from automatic check-in questions or answers

If you don't need to be asked a check-in question, or don't need to see other people's answers, you can unsubscribe.   

You can toggle between being asked (or not) from the menu for that question. Look for the   ...  menu in the upper right corner and choose whether to start or stop being asked that question. 

A screenshot of the ••• menu at the top right of a check-in

If you don't need to be notified when other people answer a check-in, you can unsubscribe by clicking the link at the bottom of an email notification:

A screenshot of the email notification from a check-in answer with the 'Unsubscribe' link highlightedYou can also unsubscribe from answers to that question via the menu in the upper right corner:

A GIF showing the process to stop receiving notifications from a check-in.

You cannot start or stop other people from receiving notifications for a check-in. You can add or remove other people from being asked a check-in question. Adding someone to a check-in will automatically subscribe them to new answers on that question.

Removing the Automatic Check-in tool

You can hide a tool from a Project if it's not needed. See if a clear space really does organize the mind!

Here's how: Setting up Tools

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