Why Every Project Needs a project-checklist.md File
A reusable checklist for quality, security, and documentation after every feature or update.
In modern software development, things move fast - and sometimes they break even faster. Between new features, refactors, deployments, and shifting teams, it’s easy to forget critical tasks.
That’s where the project-checklist.md comes in.
What is project-checklist.md?
It’s a simple Markdown file in your repo that ensures every feature or update meets essential engineering standards before it’s considered “done.”
Think of it as your team’s engineering quality gateway.
View the full checklist:
GitHub Gist: project-checklist.md
What’s Included?
The checklist covers a wide scope, including:
Code Quality & Standards
- Conventional commits
- Linter / formatter hooks
- Changelog and README updates
.editorconfigand.gitignore
Build & Deployment
- Dockerfiles and
docker-compose.yaml .env.example- CI/CD configs
- Kubernetes manifests (optional)
Testing
- Unit, integration, API tests
- Load and security tests
- Code coverage thresholds
Documentation
- API docs (Swagger/OpenAPI)
- Architecture diagrams
- ADR (Architectural Decision Records)
Data & Database
- Migrations and seed data
- Schema updates
- Anonymized test data
Security & Compliance
- Audit tools (
npm audit,pip-audit) - GDPR / data privacy checks
- Secret management
Other Essentials
- Feature flag documentation
- Logging and monitoring setup
- Edge case handling
When To Use It
Every time you:
- Add a feature
- Fix a bug
- Change the database
- Prepare a release
- Submit a pull request
Just open project-checklist.md, scan through, and ensure you’ve covered the bases.
It’s like unit testing for your process.
Bonus Tip
Embed the checklist in your:
- PR templates
- CI workflows
- Notion team wiki
- Developer onboarding guide
It acts as a safety net, reducing bugs, tech debt, and confusion during handoffs.
Final Thoughts
“Checklists turn intentions into results.”
– Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto
In teams big or small, the best engineers are those who leave nothing to chance - and project-checklist.md helps make that a team-wide habit.
Ready to add it to your repo?
Grab the checklist here and customize it to fit your stack.
Happy shipping 🚀