.png&w=64&q=75){kind=small}
Async Standup Guide
The Complete Guide for Remote & Distributed Teams
Table of Contents
Synchronous standups made sense when everyone was in the same office. But with 72% of developers now working remotely at least 3 days per week and engineering teams spanning multiple time zones, the traditional "everyone in a circle at 9:15 AM" format is breaking down. Async standups offer a better way: structured daily check-ins where each person shares their update on their own schedule, and the entire team stays aligned without a single meeting.
This guide covers everything you need to run async standups effectively — from question templates you can copy today to a side-by-side comparison of the best async standup tools, a step-by-step implementation playbook, and the most common mistakes teams make (and how to avoid them).
What Is an Async Standup?
An async standup (asynchronous standup) is a daily team check-in where members share progress updates, plans, and blockers through written text instead of attending a live meeting. Team members respond to a structured set of questions on their own schedule — typically within a defined time window — using tools like Slack bots, dedicated platforms, or shared documents.
Unlike traditional synchronous standups where everyone gathers at the same time, async standups decouple the update from a fixed meeting slot. Each person posts when it fits their workflow, and teammates read and respond at their convenience.
Why Teams Are Switching to Async Standups
Works across any time zone
63% of engineering teams now span 3+ time zones. Async standups let everyone contribute during their own working hours.
Protects deep work
Developers need 23 minutes to regain focus after an interruption. A 15-minute standup actually costs 38+ minutes of productive time.
97% time reduction
Zapier reported that async standup updates take under 1 minute per person versus 30 minutes for a synchronous meeting.
Better documentation
Written updates create a searchable, referenceable record of team progress. No more "what did we decide yesterday?"
Inclusive participation
Introverts and non-native speakers get time to compose thoughtful responses rather than speaking off-the-cuff in a live meeting.
Scales to any team size
Synchronous standups degrade past 8-10 people. Async standups work the same whether your team is 5 or 50.
Async Standup vs. Synchronous Standup
The choice between async and synchronous standups isn't binary — it depends on your team size, time zone spread, and work style. Here's a detailed comparison to help you decide.
| Factor | Synchronous | Async |
|---|---|---|
| Time per person | 15-30 min meeting (including wait time) | 1-2 min to write an update |
| Time zone support | Requires overlapping hours | Works across any time zone |
| Documentation | None unless manually recorded | Automatic written record |
| Deep work disruption | Breaks flow state (23 min recovery) | No interruption to flow |
| Update quality | Off-the-cuff, often vague | Considered, detailed, can link to PRs/tickets |
| Blocker resolution | Immediate discussion possible | Delayed response (minutes to hours) |
| Team bonding | Face-to-face connection | Reduced social interaction |
| Scalability | Degrades past 8-10 people | Scales to any team size |
| Cost per year (20-person team) | ~$300k in lost productive time | $0-$720/yr in tooling |
The hybrid approach (recommended for most teams)
Run async standups 4 days per week and hold one synchronous team sync for deeper discussions, relationship building, and collaborative problem-solving. Use the sync meeting to address patterns from async updates rather than doing a round-robin status report.
When Synchronous Standups Are Still Better
- Teams of 5 or fewer in the same time zone
- Teams going through a crisis or rapid pivot needing real-time coordination
- New teams still building trust and rapport
- Situations requiring immediate collaborative problem-solving on blockers
When Async Standups Win
- Distributed or remote teams across 2+ time zones
- Teams larger than 8 people (where sync standups become unproductive)
- Engineering teams doing deep, focused work
- Organizations with meeting-heavy cultures seeking to reduce overhead
Async Standup Question Templates
The questions you ask determine the quality of updates you get. Here are four battle-tested templates — click "Copy" to use any of them directly in your standup tool.
Classic Three Questions
Most Popular1. What did you accomplish yesterday?
2. What are you working on today?
3. Do you have any blockers or need help with anything?
Best for: Teams just getting started with async standups
Developer-Focused Format
Engineering1. What did you ship or complete? (Link PRs, commits, tickets)
2. What are you working on today? (Reference Jira/GitHub issues)
3. Any blockers or dependencies on other team members?
4. Anything else the team should know? (Risks, OOO, context)
Best for: Engineering teams that want updates linked to real work items
Goal-Oriented Format
Sprint-Focused1. What progress did you make toward this sprint's goals?
2. What is your #1 priority today?
3. Confidence level on hitting your sprint commitments? (High/Medium/Low)
4. Where do you need support?
Best for: Scrum teams tracking sprint velocity and commitments
Async-Optimized Format
Recommended1. Completed: [List items with links to PRs/tickets]
2. In Progress: [Current task + expected completion]
3. Blocked: [What + who can unblock + urgency level]
4. FYI: [Anything teammates should know]
Best for: Distributed teams that want to minimize follow-up questions
Better alternatives to "Any blockers?"
The question "Any blockers?" becomes rhetorical over time — most people default to "no." Try these instead: "What is slowing you down right now?" · "What would make your work easier today?" · "Is there anything you're waiting on from someone else?" · "What decision do you need made to move forward?"
Best Async Standup Tools (2026 Comparison)
Every tool below integrates with Slack and supports scheduled async check-ins. The right choice depends on your team's size, existing toolchain, and how much you want beyond basic standups.
| Tool | Slack | Teams | Dev Integrations | Free Tier | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbot | Via Zapier/webhooks | Up to 10 users | $3/user/mo | Slack-native teams wanting simplicity | ||
| DailyBot | Jira, Asana, Trello | Limited free tier | $2.50/user/mo | Teams wanting standups + culture tools | ||
| Standuply | Jira, Trello (native) | Up to 3 users | From $5/mo | Full agile ceremony support | ||
| Status Hero | GitHub, Jira, GitLab, Bitbucket | Free trial | $3/user/mo | Data-driven teams wanting analytics | ||
| Range | — | GitHub, Jira (limited) | Up to 12 users | $8/user/mo | Team coordination beyond standups | |
| Polly | None | Limited free tier | $2/user/mo | Teams already using Polly for surveys |
Detailed Tool Profiles
Geekbot
200,000+ usersUsed by GitLab, Netflix, Zapier
Key Features
- Time-zone-aware scheduling
- NLP sentiment analysis with happiness graphs
- Built-in templates for standups, retros, polls, and surveys
- CSV export and email summaries
- Anonymous survey mode
Pros
- Dead simple setup
- Excellent Slack-native experience
- Strong analytics
- Generous free tier
Cons
- No native GitHub/Jira integration (requires Zapier)
- No goal tracking
- Limited beyond standups
DailyBot
50,000+ usersUsed by Adobe, Salesforce
Key Features
- Daily check-ins via chat or email
- Mood tracking and kudos system
- Recognition and rewards
- Chatbot shortcuts
- Unified team dashboard
Pros
- Most affordable option
- Strong culture/engagement features
- Multi-platform (Slack, Teams, Discord)
Cons
- Basic coordination features
- Less focused on developer workflows
- Analytics less robust than alternatives
Status Hero
10,000+ usersUsed by Bloomberg, Samsung
Key Features
- Automated standup reports
- Detailed analytics dashboards
- Activity feeds pulling from connected dev tools
- Time-zone-aware prompts via email, SMS, Slack
- Widest range of native integrations
Pros
- Best-in-class integrations
- Pulls activity data automatically from GitHub/Jira/GitLab
- Excellent reporting
Cons
- No culture/engagement features
- UI can feel data-heavy
- No free tier (trial only)
Free alternatives
Slack Workflow Builder: Create a basic async standup using Slack's native Workflow Builder at no additional cost. Schedule a workflow that posts questions and collects threaded responses. Limited analytics but completely free.
Manual Slack channel: Create a #standup channel, pin a template, and have team members post daily. Zero cost, zero tooling — but requires self-discipline and offers no automation or reminders.
How to Implement Async Standups
Don't flip a switch overnight. The most successful transitions follow a phased approach that gives your team time to adjust. Here's a 7-week implementation playbook.
Phase 1: Assessment
Week 1-2- Audit your current standups — track actual meeting duration, who speaks, and whether blockers get resolved
- Identify pain points — multiple time zones, meetings running over 15 min, people multitasking during standups
- Define success metrics — participation rate (aim for 90%+), time to respond to blockers, team satisfaction
Async Standup Best Practices
Writing Effective Updates
Keep it concise
Aim for 3-5 sentences total. If an update needs more, it should be a separate conversation.
Link to artifacts
Reference PR numbers, Jira ticket IDs, or document links rather than describing work in abstract terms.
Make blockers actionable
Instead of "I'm blocked," write "Blocked on PR #432 review — @sarah, can you look at this today?"
Allow skip days
If someone has nothing meaningful to update, a brief "Continuing work on X, no blockers" is fine.
Engagement & Culture
Lead by example
Managers and tech leads should post their updates first and respond to others' updates.
React to updates
Even a thumbs-up emoji shows teammates their update was read. The biggest killer of async standups is feeling like updates go into a void.
Celebrate wins
Use the standup channel to acknowledge shipped features, resolved bugs, and milestones.
Set a window, not a deadline
A 3-4 hour window accommodates different schedules while keeping updates timely. One reminder is enough.
Common Async Standup Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Treating it as a status report for managers
Problem: Team members write updates aimed at management rather than peers. Updates become performative rather than informative.
Fix: Frame the standup as a team coordination tool. The audience is your teammates, not your boss. Ask: "What does the person sitting next to me need to know?"
Not reading others' updates
Problem: People post their own update but never read anyone else's. The standup becomes a broadcast, not a communication tool.
Fix: Designate a rotating "standup reviewer" role. That person reads all updates, identifies blockers, and flags cross-team dependencies. Encourage emoji reactions to show updates were read.
Ignoring reported blockers
Problem: Someone reports a blocker in their async update and nobody responds for hours or days.
Fix: Establish a blocker SLA (e.g., all blockers get a response within 2 hours). Configure notifications so blocker keywords trigger alerts.
Update fatigue from the same questions
Problem: After weeks of the same three questions, updates become rote and low-value ("Same as yesterday. No blockers.").
Fix: Rotate question sets periodically. Add variety with occasional prompts like "What did you learn this week?" or "What could improve our process?"
Eliminating all synchronous touchpoints
Problem: Teams go fully async and lose the human connection, leading to trust erosion and isolation.
Fix: Maintain at least one weekly synchronous meeting. Use it for discussions, not status updates. The async standup frees your sync time for higher-value conversations.
Making updates too long or too short
Problem: Some people write essays; others write "all good." Neither is useful to teammates.
Fix: Set a guideline: 3-5 sentences with links to artifacts. Provide exemplar updates during onboarding so people know what "good" looks like.
Async Standups for Distributed Teams
When a team spans two or more time zones, finding a synchronous standup time means someone is always in an inconvenient slot. Async standups level the playing field: every team member posts during their own productive hours, and everyone gets the same quality of update.
Time Zone Strategies
Single Window
Set one update window in UTC (e.g., 8 AM — 2 PM UTC) that covers the start-of-day for most team members. Works when teams span 6-8 hours of time zone difference.
Rolling Window
Each person posts within the first 2 hours of their workday. The standup "rolls" around the globe. Works for teams spanning 12+ hours. Team leads in each region review and route blockers.
Local Time Triggering
Tools like Geekbot and DailyBot support per-user time zone configuration. The bot prompts each person at their local time (e.g., 9:30 AM local). The most flexible and widely-used approach.
Real-World Examples
GitLab
1,500+ employees, 65 countriesUses issue-based updates linked directly to work items, with a 4-hour response window for daily contributions, public-by-default transparency, and weekly synchronous calls to supplement async communication.
Zapier
250 employees, 24 countriesUses Geekbot in Slack with a three-question format. Their Senior Engineering Manager reported that async standups reduced per-person standup time from 30 minutes to under 1 minute — a 97% time reduction. Updates became "actionable, short, and on-point."
Buffer
Fully remote, 10+ yearsOffers multi-modal options (text, audio, video), includes emotional mood indicators alongside work updates, provides a 24-hour participation window to accommodate all zones, and maintains a company-wide dashboard for transparency.
Tool Integrations (Slack, Teams, GitHub, Jira)
The best async standup tool is the one that fits into your existing workflow. Here's how each tool connects to the platforms your team already uses.
| Tool | Slack | MS Teams | GitHub | Jira | GitLab | Trello |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geekbot | Via Zapier | Via Zapier | Via Zapier | Via Zapier | ||
| DailyBot | — | Yes | — | Yes | ||
| Standuply | — | Yes (native) | — | Yes | ||
| Status Hero | Yes (native) | Yes (native) | Yes (native) | Yes | ||
| Range | — | Yes (limited) | Yes (limited) | — | — | |
| Polly | — | — | — | — |
How Slack integration typically works: The bot sends a DM to each team member at their configured time. The team member responds in the DM thread. The bot compiles all responses and posts a summary to a designated channel. Teammates react, comment, or follow up in threads.
Tip: If your team uses GitHub for pull requests and code review, pair your async standup tool with a Slack notification tool like PullNotifier to get real-time alerts on PR activity. This way, standup updates reference work that everyone can already see in their Slack feed.
Keep Your Team in Sync Beyond Standups
Async standups keep your team aligned on priorities. PullNotifier keeps them aligned on code. Get real-time Slack notifications for new PRs, review requests, approvals, CI status, and merges — so blockers surface instantly, not at the next standup.
FAQ
What is an async standup?
An async standup (asynchronous standup) is a daily team check-in where members share progress updates, plans, and blockers through written text instead of attending a live meeting. Team members respond to a structured set of questions on their own schedule — typically within a defined time window — using tools like Slack bots, dedicated platforms, or shared documents.
How long should an async standup update take?
An async standup update should take 1-2 minutes to write. Aim for 3-5 concise sentences with links to relevant tickets or pull requests. If your update needs more than 5 sentences, the details should probably be a separate conversation or document.
What are the best async standup tools?
The most popular async standup tools are Geekbot (best for Slack-native teams, free for up to 10 users), DailyBot (best value at $2.50/user/mo with culture features), Status Hero (best for dev tool integrations with GitHub/Jira/GitLab), Standuply (best for full agile ceremony support), and Range (best for team coordination beyond standups).
Can async standups replace daily meetings?
Yes, for most distributed and remote teams. Zapier reduced per-person standup time by 97% after switching to async standups via Geekbot. However, most teams benefit from keeping one weekly synchronous meeting for deeper discussions, collaborative problem-solving, and team bonding.
What questions should I ask in an async standup?
The standard template is: (1) What did you accomplish yesterday? (2) What are you working on today? (3) Do you have any blockers? For better responses, add a fourth question: "Anything else the team should know?" For engineering teams, ask people to link to PRs, commits, or ticket IDs instead of describing work in abstract terms.
How do you handle blockers in an async standup?
Establish a blocker SLA — for example, all reported blockers get a response within 2 hours. Configure your standup tool to send notifications when blocker keywords appear. Designate a daily rotating "blocker buddy" who watches for and routes blockers. For critical items, escalate to a direct message or a brief synchronous call.
Do async standups work for small teams?
Teams of 5 or fewer in the same time zone may not benefit significantly from async standups, since a quick 5-minute synchronous standup works well. However, even small teams benefit from the documentation that async standups create. The sweet spot where async clearly wins is teams of 6+ people or any team spanning 2+ time zones.
How do you keep async standups from becoming stale?
Rotate your question set periodically — keep the core questions but add one rotating prompt (e.g., "What did you learn this week?"). Lead by example: managers should post detailed updates and react to others'. Celebrate wins in the standup channel. Run a quarterly retro specifically about the standup process to identify what's working and what needs changing.
Built by PullNotifier — get GitHub pull request notifications directly on Slack.
Never miss a PR review, merge, or CI failure again.
PullNotifier
© 2026 PullNotifier. All rights reserved