Impact effort matrix template
An impact effort matrix sorts ideas by how much difference each would make and how much work it would take. The 4 results are the columns of this board: Quick Wins, Major Projects, Fill-ins and Thankless Tasks. Sort a backlog with the team, then start on the Quick Wins without copying anything anywhere.
Free for 3 projects, forever. No credit card.
Add a search box to the help page
Fix the confusing sign-up error
Rebuild the reporting dashboard
Tidy the footer links
Support a second CSV format nobody uses
New pricing page
The 5 columns
What each one is for. Rename, reorder or add columns whenever the work needs it.
- Quick Wins
- High impact, low effort. Do these first.
- Major Projects
- High impact, high effort. Worth doing, but plan them, and break each into smaller cards or a checklist.
- Fill-ins
- Low impact, low effort. For spare moments. Don't let them crowd out the Major Projects.
- Thankless Taskscounts as done
- Low impact, high effort. Drop them, and keep the cards so the idea doesn't come back. Counts as done.
- Donecounts as done
- Finished. Counts as done.
How to use an impact effort matrix
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Step 1
Collect the ideas as cards
Features, fixes, process changes. Leave them all in Fill-ins to start. Write enough in each card that everyone knows what it means.
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Step 2
Agree what impact means
Revenue, customers helped, hours saved: pick one or 2 measures before you sort, or the argument is about the measure, not the card.
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Step 3
Sort together, quickly
Take each card and decide high or low impact, high or low effort, then drag it to its column. A minute per card is enough. Rough is fine.
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Step 4
Start with the Quick Wins
Put the Quick Wins in order and assign them. Pick 1 Major Project to start at the same time, so the big work doesn't wait forever.
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Step 5
Sort again when things change
Effort looks different once work starts. Drag cards to a new column as you learn, and re-sort the whole board every month or 2.
With your AI agents
An agent can add a batch of ideas from a feedback export or a meeting, then help you rate each one by reading the card and its comments.
Agents connect over MCP or the REST API, on every plan, and act as you.
agentcreate_project("Q1 ideas", template: "impact-effort")
agentbulk_create_cards("Q1 ideas", 40 cards from feedback.csv)
agentmove_card("Add a search box to the help page", "Quick Wins")
Keep it working
- People overrate the impact of their own ideas. Sort as a group, and let the person who'll do the work judge the effort.
- Give each card a size. It's a quick way to record the effort you agreed on.
- If Quick Wins is always full, look again at the effort. Some of them are Major Projects in disguise.
- A Major Project needs an owner and a first small step, or it sits in the column for a year.
Questions
About this template
Is the impact effort matrix the same as a value vs effort matrix?
Yes. It's also called an action priority matrix or a prioritisation matrix. The axes and the 4 groups are the same, whatever the name.
Is this template free?
Yes. It's on the Free plan, with 3 projects and unlimited cards, forever. No credit card. Sorting with your team on one board needs Pro.
Why columns instead of a 2 by 2 grid?
A grid shows where things sit. Columns let you act on it: order the Quick Wins, assign them, and drag them to Done, on the same board you sorted them on.
Can I score cards with numbers?
Each card has a size and a priority. For a fuller score such as RICE, write it in the card. See the guide to prioritising tasks for how RICE works.
Other templates
Start from this template
Free for 3 projects, with no credit card to enter. Every board exports as JSON or CSV whenever you want to leave.