7 Best Retrospective Templates (and When to Use Each)
Start/Stop/Continue, 4Ls, Mad-Sad-Glad... which template fits your team's needs right now? We break them all down.
Choosing the right retrospective template is like choosing the right lens for a camera. The format shapes what your team focuses on — and what they ignore.
1. Start, Stop, Continue
The classic. What should we start doing? Stop doing? Keep doing? Simple, fast, and universally understood. Perfect for new teams or when you just need a reliable format.
Use Start Stop Continue template →2. 4Ls (Liked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for)
Adds nuance over Start/Stop/Continue. "Lacked" and "Longed for" help surface missing resources and wishlist items that teams often don't mention in other formats.
Use 4Ls template →3. Mad, Sad, Glad
Emotion-first format. Great for teams that need to process a difficult sprint or a stressful period. Gets to the feelings before jumping to solutions.
Use Mad Sad Glad template →4. Fun Retrospective
Use themes: space missions, cooking shows, sports. Reframe "what went wrong" as "what ingredients were missing from our recipe." Keeps energy high and prevents retro fatigue.
Use Fun Retrospective template →5. DAKI (Drop, Add, Keep, Improve)
A more action-oriented version of Start/Stop/Continue. The "Improve" column is key — it acknowledges that things don't have to be bad to be worth making better.
6. Sailboat
Visual metaphor: your team is a boat. The wind pushes you forward (what's helping), the anchor slows you down (what's holding you back), rocks are risks, the island is your goal. Great for strategic discussions.
Use Sailboat template →7. One-word retrospective
Each person describes the sprint in one word. Brutally simple. Reveals gaps in team perception instantly. Use as a quick check-in before a longer retro.
Which one should you use?
New team or difficult sprint → Mad/Sad/Glad. Regular cadence → Start/Stop/Continue or DAKI. Low energy → Fun Retrospective. Need strategic discussion → Sailboat. (Other formats like the genie in a bottle retrospective template or hopes and concerns retrospective template can also be run by customizing your columns in Giftro). All of these are available as templates in Giftro.
Retrospective Templates
- 🌤️ Hopes and ConcernsSurface what the team hopes for and worries about before a project, quarter or big change. Perfect for kick-offs.
- 🧞 Genie in a BottleA playful wish-based retro: what would you wish for the team, for yourself and for others? Great for creativity and morale.
- 🎭 Mad Sad GladEmotion-first retro: what made the team mad, sad and glad. Ideal after a stressful sprint or to check team morale.
- 4️⃣ 4LsLiked, Learned, Lacked, Longed for. A balanced retro that captures lessons and what's missing, not just problems.
- 🚦 Start Stop ContinueThe classic three-column retro: what to start doing, stop doing and keep doing. Fast, clear, action-oriented.
- 🎉 Fun RetrospectiveThematic retros with GIFs, reactions, and icebreakers. Because retros shouldn't feel like work.
- ⛵ SailboatNavigate your sprint with a nautical metaphor. Identify what's pushing you forward, what's slowing you down, risks ahead, and your shared destination.