Getting started
uRetro is an online board for team retrospectives. Participants record what went well and what needs to change, group similar ideas, vote and save agreements as actions.
For facilitators
Register or sign in. Create a retrospective, prepare columns and invite your team. You will control the meeting’s stages.
For participants
Open the facilitator’s link. Sign in or join as a guest if the room’s settings allow it.
Guest access is tied to your browser. Use an account if you want to return from another device. You can copy your login from your profile and give it to the facilitator for access to a private room.
Use an email as your login when registering. Existing accounts can still sign in with their old login. In profile settings you can change your display name or replace an old login with an email.
The “Русский / English” switch changes your own interface. Your browser remembers the language; card text and room titles are not translated.
If you forget your account password, click “Forgot password?” on the sign-in form and enter your email. The emailed link lasts 30 minutes and can be used once. The email uses your interface language at the time of the request. Sign in again on all devices after resetting.
Create a retrospective
- On the home page, sign in and click “Create retrospective”.
- Enter a title, such as “September team retrospective”.
- Set the maximum votes per participant. The default is five; 0 removes the limit.
- If needed, open “Privacy” and choose access, anonymity and encryption settings.
- Click “Create retrospective”. On the board that opens, add columns using “Add column”.
You can create up to four columns, such as “What went well”, “What got in the way” and “What to try”. Prepare the columns before collecting cards.
Use Copy in the retrospective list for your next meeting. It creates a new room with the source board’s columns, without copying old cards or votes. Check the title and settings, and choose a new key for an encrypted copy.
Choose Russian or English under “Room language” when creating a room. It sets game words and the language of AI titles and summaries, and cannot be changed later. A copy inherits the source language, which you can override before creating it. Your personal interface language does not change the room language.
Invite your team and join a room
After creating the board, copy its address from your browser and share it with participants.
If joining by link is enabled
A participant opens the link, signs in or selects “Guest”, enters a name and clicks “Join as a guest”. They then appear in the room’s participant list.
If joining by link is disabled
The facilitator clicks “Add participant” in the participant panel and enters a registered user’s login. The invited participant signs in to that account and opens the board link. The link alone does not grant access.
If encryption is enabled
The facilitator shares the encryption key along with the link. Enter it when opening the room and after reloading the page.
Retrospective stages
The current stage appears at the top of the board. A room administrator changes stages, using ready marks to see when the team has finished.
Created
The facilitator prepares columns and invites the team. When everyone is ready, they change the stage using the arrow button at the top of the board.
Game
Warm up with “Guess the word”: one participant draws while others type guesses in the chat. The facilitator clicks “Start game”. To skip the game and move to cards, click “Close”.
In progress
Participants add cards. Your own entries are visible immediately; other people’s entries stay hidden until the column is revealed. Click “I am done” when finished, or “Write more” to continue.
Grouping
The facilitator reveals columns and the team groups similar cards. Drag one card onto another in the same column. Reveal every column before moving to voting.
Voting
Choose topics worth discussing and vote for cards or groups. When finished, click “I am done”. “Change my votes” clears your ready status so you can continue choosing.
Discussion
The team discusses the selected topics. The facilitator moves between cards and groups, records actions and assigns owners.
Completed
The retrospective is saved with its actions. If AI is available and allowed for the room, a discussion summary will appear. Participants with access can return to the results; administrators can mark actions as done.
Cards, groups and votes
Add a card
During “In progress”, type an idea in the “Add a card…” field of a column and press Enter or “+”. Keep one idea per card. You can drag an image into the add-card area.
Before a column is revealed, you can read your own cards while other people’s cards are hidden. The facilitator clicks “Reveal” to reveal the column. With anonymity enabled, authors stay hidden after revealing.
Group similar ideas
During “Grouping”, drag one card onto another in the same column to create a group. You can drag more cards into an existing group, or use Ungroup to remove a card from it.
Choose discussion topics
During “Voting”, click the vote button on a card or group. The limit covers the whole board, so you can distribute votes across topics. Use Remove vote to reclaim a vote. The participant panel shows how many you have left.
Administrators and actions
The room creator becomes its administrator. They control stages, reveal columns, invite participants and record actions. Other participants write cards, group ideas and vote at the appropriate stages.
Give another participant control
An administrator opens a participant’s menu in the sidebar and chooses Make administrator. A room can have several administrators.
You can also set a room administrator password in “Retrospective settings”. A participant who receives it clicks “Become an administrator” on the board. This password grants management rights, so share it only with future facilitators.
Record agreements
During “Discussion”, the facilitator records an action in “Actions”, enters an assignee and clicks “+”. Describe a specific next step, such as “Anna will prepare a release checklist”.
Administrators with access to the room can mark actions as done, including after the retrospective ends. In the current version, this cannot be undone.
Privacy and encryption
When creating a room, choose the settings your team needs in “Privacy”.
Your account password signs you in to uRetro; the administrator password grants board management rights; the encryption key lets you read room content. The administrator password does not open a closed room or replace the key.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register?
You can read this guide without registering. To join a room that allows joining by link, choose “Guest” and enter your name. Sign in or register to create your own board.
Why can’t I open a room using its link?
The facilitator may have disabled joining by link. They must then add your account by login. The room may also be closed to new participants after completion. If encryption is enabled, you will need the key from the facilitator.
Why are other people’s cards hidden?
Until the facilitator reveals a column, participants can only read their own cards. This helps collect independent opinions. Ask the facilitator to click “Reveal” above the column.
Why can’t I add a card or vote?
Add cards during “In progress” and vote during “Voting”. You may run out of votes if the facilitator set a limit. Check the current stage and your remaining votes in the participant panel.
Can we return to a previous stage?
Stages move forward in order. Before changing the stage, the facilitator should check that the team has finished its current work.
Why is there no AI summary?
AI in an encrypted room requires permission granted when the room is created. A summary can also be unavailable if the AI service does not respond. Board results and recorded actions remain available according to the room’s access settings.
What if we forget the encryption key?
Ask the facilitator or a participant who saved the key. A room’s key cannot be recovered or replaced. Account and administrator passwords do not replace it.
Why can’t I see other participants’ changes?
Check your internet connection and reload. Enter the key again after reloading an encrypted room. If your access has changed, check with the facilitator.