Teams hit a small snag before a retro even starts: nobody's quite sure what format they're running, or whether it's the right one for today. Two changes this release, one for each half of that.

Format context while writing notes

You can now see what format you're running while adding notes

During the note input stage, a help card appears alongside the writing area. It shows the format name, a short description of how it works, and the columns you'll be filling in. If you're new to a format, or you joined a session someone else created, that's usually enough to write useful notes without asking.

Previously, if you couldn't remember whether "Mad / Sad / Glad" wanted feelings or observations (it's both), you'd have to leave the session to check. Now it's right there.

Discovering formats before you commit

A link on the dashboard now points to the full template library

Below the quick-start template cards there's a new "Learn about all formats →" text link. It takes you to the templates page, where every format is listed with descriptions, column breakdowns, and guidance on when to use each one.

Useful when you're not sure which format fits the moment: a classic three-column retro, Lean Coffee for something more agenda-driven, or one of the others. The link only appears if you're a team admin or haven't selected a team yet, since those are the moments when the format choice is actually yours to make.

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As always, if you have questions or run into anything unexpected, reach out via the in-app feedback button. Thanks for using retrospective.fun!