Setting up blocker detection in check-ins
Blocker questions let participants flag work that is stuck. You add them in the check-in editor alongside your other prompts.
Add a blocker question
- Open Check-ins and select the check-in you manage.
- Go to Questions (or the equivalent editor for that check-in).
- Click Add question or edit an existing row.
- Choose a blocker or critical style question type if your UI offers it; otherwise use a yes/no question labeled clearly (e.g., “Do you have a blocker?”).
- For a yes/no flag, set the question so “yes” means a blocker exists. Dailybot can treat that as a blocker signal for notifications and reports.
- Add an optional follow-up text question (e.g., “Describe the blocker”) so people can explain context when they flag one.
- Save the check-in.
Blocker types
| Type | Use when |
|---|---|
| Yes/no flag | Fast triage; you only need to know if something is blocked. |
| Short text | You want a free-form description without a separate yes/no step. |
| Yes/no + text | You want a clear signal plus detail in the same flow. |
What happens when someone flags a blocker
Managers and check-in owners configured for alerts typically get a notification when a participant reports a blocker. In the compiled report, blocker responses are highlighted or grouped so they stand out from routine updates. Exact labels depend on your workspace settings and chat platform.
AI blocker detection
Dailybot can also detect blockers from natural language in open-ended answers (e.g., “I’m blocked on access to the repo”). That is separate from an explicit blocker question: enable and tune AI blocker detection under your org or check-in AI settings so the product can surface those mentions to managers and in summaries. Pair explicit blocker questions with AI detection if you want both structured flags and prose caught automatically.