Make a list.
Tick it off.

A few tasks. One Markdown file.

A report review, a packing list, or a release check often needs only a short list you can tick off. A Markdown checklist keeps the task text and its checked state together in a plain .md file.

# Before sending the report

- [x] Read the opening summary
- [ ] Confirm names and dates
- [ ] Check the images
- [ ] Open the exported copy
- [ ] Send the approved version

Download this checklist, open it in Zizeg, and replace the tasks with your own.

Work through the list in its readable form.

1. Open the checklist.If Zizeg is your default Markdown app, double-click the .md in Finder.
2. Use Preview or Split.Preview (⌘1) shows the formatted list. Split (⌘3) also shows the Markdown. If either is your default viewing mode, the formatted document opens automatically.
3. Click a task’s checkbox.Tick or untick it in Preview. Zizeg updates the task’s checked state in the Markdown and autosaves the edit.

Click the active Split control again to swap the panes. This makes it easy to see both the list you use and the text stored in the file.

Build the list in Preview or Source.

Use the toolbar’s Style menu or the Format menu to choose Task List. Type your tasks and edit their wording directly in Preview. You can also write the task-list syntax in Source.

Use headings to separate groups such as “Before leaving” and “On arrival.” Within a list, press Tab to indent an item or ⇧Tab to outdent it. Outdenting a top-level item exits the list.

For a reusable template, keep a master copy and use File → Save As… (⇧⌘S) for each report or trip. Untick the tasks you want to start again.

A checkbox starts with a list item and a task marker.

- [ ] Check the images
- [x] Read the summary

Use a space after the hyphen, a space inside the brackets for an unfinished task, and a space before the task text. Replace the space inside the brackets with x to mark it complete.

Use:    - [ ] Check the images
Avoid:  -[]Check the images

If the item appears as a code block, check for accidental leading indentation outside a list. If you want a nested task, keep it within the parent list’s structure.

Task lists are part of GitHub Flavored Markdown. Another app may display checkboxes without making them clickable, or show the source if it does not support that extension. The saved [ ] and [x] still carry the task state.

Keep the file where the work lives.

Store the checklist beside the report, project, or travel notes it belongs to. You can rename it, copy it, or send the Markdown to someone who needs to continue editing. No task database or workspace setup is needed.

For a snapshot someone only needs to read, export PDF or standalone HTML. Keep the Markdown as your working checklist; ticking a task later does not update a copy you already sent.

If you are reviewing a generated plan, see the AI Markdown review walkthrough for a checklist inside a wider document.