Configure a Visual Task Board with swimlanes
Swimlanes enable you to create an environment with horizontal lanes in addition to vertical lanes. Swimlanes use only compact cards in Visual Task Board.
Before you begin
Role required: none
About this task
You can add swimlanes in all types of Visual Task Boards. For more information see Add or modify Visual Task Board lanes.
When you select swimlanes in Visual Task Boards, you can do the following:
- Name and rename the swimlanes.
- Move the tasks horizontally and vertically from one user to another.
- Drag the cards across swimlanes.
- Reorder swimlanes by dragging them or from Lane Configuration.[Omitted image "laneconfiguration.png"] Alt text: Lane configuration
- Collapse and expand swimlanes.
Procedure
-
Navigate to All > System Definition > Self-service > Visual Task Boards.
-
Click New and select the board type.
- Freeform Board
- Data Driven Board
-
Configure swimlanes in the boards.
-
In a freeform board, activate the swimlanes by sliding the Swimlanes toggle switch in the Info tab.
[Omitted image "Swimlanesactivate.png"] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a freeform board
The following figure shows a sample freeform board created with swimlanes.
[Omitted image "Freeformboardswimlanes.png"] Alt text: Freeform board with swimlanes
-
In a data driven flexible board, do the following:
- Select None in Vertical Lane Field from the drop-down.
- Click Next and slide the toggle under the Info tab to the right.
-
|
[Omitted image "flexibleboard.png"] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a data driven flexible board |
[Omitted image "Swimlanesactivate.png"] Alt text: Activate swimlanes by toggle button |
\[Omitted image "datadrivenswimlanes.png"\] Alt text: Data driven guided board with swimlanes
- In a data driven guided board, select **Vertical Lane Field** and **Swimlane Field** while creating the board. You must have created a freeform board in order to create a guided board.
You can also add swimlanes to the existing guided board by selecting **Swimlane Field** under **Info** tab in the board.
|
[Omitted image "swimlanedata.png"] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a data driven flexible board |
[Omitted image "guidedswimlanes2.png"] Alt text: Activate swimlanes in existing board |
---
title: Configure a Visual Task Board with swimlanes
description: Swimlanes enable you to create an environment with horizontal lanes in addition to vertical lanes. Swimlanes use only compact cards in Visual Task Board.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-user-interface/visual-task-boards/configureswimlanes.html
release: brazil
product: Visual Task Boards
classification: visual-task-boards
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Customizing and configuring Visual Task Boards, Using Visual Task Boards, Visual Task Boards, Personalize your experience, Configure user experiences]
---
# Configure a Visual Task Board with swimlanes
Swimlanes enable you to create an environment with horizontal lanes in addition to vertical lanes. Swimlanes use only compact cards in Visual Task Board.
## Before you begin
Role required: none
## About this task
You can add swimlanes in all types of Visual Task Boards. For more information see [Add or modify Visual Task Board lanes](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-user-interface/visual-task-boards/t_AddOrModifyALane.md).
When you select swimlanes in Visual Task Boards, you can do the following:
- Name and rename the swimlanes.
- Move the tasks horizontally and vertically from one user to another.
- Drag the cards across swimlanes.
- Reorder swimlanes by dragging them or from **Lane Configuration**.\[Omitted image "laneconfiguration.png"\] Alt text: Lane configuration
- Collapse and expand swimlanes.
## Procedure
1. Navigate to **All** > **System Definition** > **Self-service** > **Visual Task Boards**.
2. Click **New** and select the board type.
- Freeform Board
- Data Driven Board
3. Configure swimlanes in the boards.
- In a freeform board, activate the swimlanes by sliding the **Swimlanes** toggle switch in the **Info** tab.
\[Omitted image "Swimlanesactivate.png"\] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a freeform board
The following figure shows a sample freeform board created with swimlanes.
\[Omitted image "Freeformboardswimlanes.png"\] Alt text: Freeform board with swimlanes
- In a data driven flexible board, do the following:
1. Select **None** in **Vertical Lane Field** from the drop-down.
2. Click **Next** and slide the toggle under the **Info** tab to the right.
<table id="table_pww_dwv_hhb"><tbody><tr><td>
\[Omitted image "flexibleboard.png"\] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a data driven flexible board
</td><td>
\[Omitted image "Swimlanesactivate.png"\] Alt text: Activate swimlanes by toggle button
</td></tr></tbody>
</table> The following figure shows a data driven guided board created with swimlanes.
\[Omitted image "datadrivenswimlanes.png"\] Alt text: Data driven guided board with swimlanes
- In a data driven guided board, select **Vertical Lane Field** and **Swimlane Field** while creating the board. You must have created a freeform board in order to create a guided board.
You can also add swimlanes to the existing guided board by selecting **Swimlane Field** under **Info** tab in the board.
<table id="table_qsc_2yv_hhb"><tbody><tr><td>
\[Omitted image "swimlanedata.png"\] Alt text: Activate swimlanes for a data driven flexible board
</td><td>
\[Omitted image "guidedswimlanes2.png"\] Alt text: Activate swimlanes in existing board
</td></tr></tbody>
</table>
**Parent Topic:**[Customizing and configuring Visual Task Boards](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-user-interface/visual-task-boards/configuring-vis-task-boards.md)
| title | Configure a Visual Task Board with swimlanes |
| description | Swimlanes enable you to create an environment with horizontal lanes in addition to vertical lanes. Swimlanes use only compact cards in Visual Task Board. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-user-interface/visual-task-boards/configureswimlanes.html |
| release | brazil |
| product | Visual Task Boards |
| classification | visual-task-boards |
| topic_type | task |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 1 |
| breadcrumb | Customizing and configuring Visual Task BoardsUsing Visual Task BoardsVisual Task BoardsPersonalize your experienceConfigure user experiences |