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List Log is an iOS app for designing reusable checklists and running them as many times as you need — producing a permanent, exportable record of every run.
List Log is free to download and includes one checklist with unlimited runs. A single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited checklists and all export features.
Step 1 — Create a checklist. On the Checklists screen, tap New Checklist. Enter a name and description, then tap Next.
Step 2 — Add a group. Every checklist is organized into groups. Give your first group a name and description. Think of a group as a section or category within your checklist.
Step 3 — Add items. Tap Add Item within the group. Give the item a title, choose its type (for example, Checkbox or Short Text), and tap Save. Repeat for as many items as you need.
Step 4 — Start a run. Navigate to the Checklist Detail screen and tap Start New Run. Fill in each item. Your progress is saved automatically as you go.
Step 5 — Finish the run. When you've filled in everything, tap Finish Run. The run is recorded with a completion timestamp and moves to your run history.
A checklist is the reusable design — the structure of groups and items you create once. A run is one completed (or in-progress) execution of that checklist. You can run the same checklist dozens or hundreds of times; each run is its own independent record.
When you start a run, List Log takes a complete copy of the checklist's structure at that moment. If you later edit or delete the checklist, your past runs are completely unaffected. Every run stands on its own — it does not depend on the checklist that produced it.
List Log saves your work automatically and continuously. Every value you enter during a run is written immediately — you never need to tap a save button. Using the back arrow saves your progress and leaves the run In Progress; tapping Finish Run records the completion timestamp and closes the run.
The Checklists screen is the first screen you see when you open List Log. It shows all of your checklists. Each row shows the checklist name, its description, and a count of groups and items. Inactive checklists appear at the bottom of the list in a dimmed style.
Tap the + icon to access:
The Checklist Editor is used both to create new checklists and to edit existing ones. Every checklist requires a name and a description — the Save button is disabled until both are filled in.
A checklist is organized into one or more groups. Each group has a name and a description. Groups can be reordered by dragging. An initial group called "General" is added automatically — you can rename it. To delete a group, swipe left on it. Deleting a group permanently removes all items within it.
Each group contains one or more items. When adding an item, you choose a title, a type (see Section 9), a role (Input or Reference), and for Input items, whether the item is Required or Optional.
Input — the person running the checklist fills in this value each time. Reference — the checklist designer fills in a fixed value at design time. It appears on every run as read-only information. Use Reference items to embed context or instructions directly into the checklist.
A run is automatically marked Complete when every Required item has a value. Optional items do not affect completion. You can manually override the Complete/Incomplete status of any run at any time.
Tapping a checklist opens the Checklist Detail screen, which has two tabs.
The Design tab shows the checklist structure — groups and items as designed. Tap ··· (top right) to edit the checklist, export it, export run data as CSV, toggle Active/Inactive status, or delete it (only available when there are no runs).
The Runs tab shows the history of all runs, most recent first. Tap a Complete run to view it in read-only detail. Tap an In Progress run to resume it.
An Active checklist can have new runs started against it. An Inactive checklist cannot start new runs, but all past runs remain fully accessible and exportable. A checklist with existing runs cannot be deleted — set it Inactive instead.
Tap Start New Run to open the Active Run screen. Fill in each item according to its type. Reference items appear with a "Ref" label and cannot be edited.
Every value you enter is saved immediately — there is no save button and no risk of losing your work. Tap the back arrow to save progress and leave the run In Progress. Tap Finish Run to record the completion timestamp and close the run.
Tapping a completed run opens the Run Detail screen — a read-only view showing the run information header (checklist name, dates, status, run ID) and all item values. URL items are shown as tappable links. Photo items show a thumbnail; tap to view full size.
Tap the Export PDF button (top right) to generate a formatted PDF. You can also edit values in a completed run at any time by tapping Edit, and manually toggle the Complete/Incomplete status by tapping the status badge.
| Type | What it captures | Reference role? |
|---|---|---|
| Checkbox | Yes or No (tap to toggle) | Yes |
| Yes / No / N/A | Three-state toggle | Yes |
| Number | Numeric value | Yes |
| Short Text | Single line of free text | Yes |
| Long Text | Multiple lines of free text | Yes |
| Date | Calendar date (no time) | Yes |
| Date & Time | Date plus time of day | Yes |
| URL | Web link with a label — must start with https:// or http:// | Yes |
| Photo | Image from camera or photo library | No |
| PDF file from device storage | No | |
| List of Values | One selection from a designer-defined list | No — Input only |
All export features require full access.
PDF Export (single run) — available from the Run Detail screen. Produces a formatted PDF including the run header, all groups and items with values, clickable URL links, embedded photo thumbnails, and page numbers.
CSV Export (all runs) — available from the Checklist Detail screen via the ··· menu. Produces a flat CSV with one row per item per run. Columns: Template Name, Checklist Description, Log Entry ID, Date Completed, Group Name, Group Description, Item Name, Role, Value, Label (URL items only). Opens in Excel, Numbers, and Google Sheets.
Checklist Structure Export — available via ··· → Export Checklist. Exports the checklist's design as a CSV — groups, items, types, and roles, but no values. Useful for sharing a design or editing it before re-importing.
Starter Template Export — available from the Checklists screen via the ··· menu. Downloads a pre-built CSV demonstrating one example of each item type.
Tap ··· on the Checklists screen and select Import Checklist. List Log validates the entire file before creating anything — if any errors are found, the import is rejected and a list of errors with row numbers is shown. No partial checklist is created. The checklist name in the CSV must not match an existing checklist name.
If your device has an active iCloud account, List Log automatically syncs checklists, runs, photos, and PDF attachments across all your Apple devices using the same iCloud account. No setup is required. iCloud sync is available to all users including the free tier.
If no iCloud account is active, List Log stores everything locally. Changes made on one device may take a few moments to appear on another — if a change doesn't appear immediately, wait a moment and pull down to refresh.
List Log is free to download and includes one checklist with unlimited runs, full viewing of all run results, and iCloud sync.
A single one-time in-app purchase unlocks: unlimited checklists, PDF export, CSV export, checklist structure export and import, and the starter template export.
The upgrade prompt appears automatically when you attempt a feature that requires full access. Tap Unlock Full Access, review the price, and confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple ID password. The purchase is processed entirely through Apple — List Log never sees your payment information. The unlock takes effect immediately.
To restore a previous purchase after reinstalling or on a new device, tap Restore Purchase on the upgrade prompt. Full access supports Apple Family Sharing.