Cross-Column Sorting: Controlling Card Movement in Ontraccr Boards
↔️ Cross-Column Sorting: Controlling Card Movement in Ontraccr Boards
Overview
By default, Ontraccr lets you drag and drop cards between columns (statuses) and rearrange them freely. But for more structured workflows, you can disable cross-column sorting to prevent accidental movement and enforce process discipline.
🎯 Why Use This Feature?
Disabling cross-column sorting helps when:
- You want tighter control over who can move cards
- You’re managing critical workflows (e.g. estimating, HR, finance)
- You need cards to appear in a fixed order based on time or criteria
- You want to avoid manual reordering mistakes
🧩 How to Enable or Disable Cross-Column Sorting
- Open your board and go to Settings (⚙️ icon).
- In the Details tab, locate the “Disable Cross Column Sorting” checkbox.
- Check the box to disable manual sorting and dragging between columns.
- Click Submit to save your changes.
✅ New cards will now appear at the bottom of each column and can’t be manually reordered across statuses.
✅ Behavior Summary
| Setting | What It Does |
|---|---|
| ✅ Checked | Sorting will not move cards across columns. Sorting only affects order within each column. |
| ❌ Unchecked (default) | Sorting can reorder cards across multiple columns, potentially moving cards from one status to another based on sort criteria. |
📝 Example Use Cases
| Use Case | Setting |
|---|---|
| Estimating or approval workflow where only certain users should change statuses | ✅ Disable Cross-Column Sorting |
| Field service request board where cards are manually triaged | ❌ Leave enabled |
| Recruiting board with rigid stage gating | ✅ Disable |
| Project board with ongoing updates and collaboration | ❌ Leave enabled |
🧠 Tips & Edge Cases
- This setting affects manual movement only — cards can still move via:
- Automations
- Workflow rules
- Form responses (if mapped to statuses)
- If you want to lock movement but still allow editing, combine this setting with the lock board feature.
- Helpful in audited or approval-heavy workflows where movement needs to be controlled