zipBoard

What is zipBoard

zipBoard is a visual feedback and issue tracking tool designed for teams working on digital content. Its main purpose is to make the review and approval process simpler and faster. Teams can use it to collaborate on websites, e-learning courses, videos, PDFs, and images. The core function is allowing users to add comments and annotations directly on the digital asset, which removes confusion from long email threads. This makes it easy for developers, designers, project managers, and clients to see feedback in context. zipBoard also includes project management features, turning each piece of feedback into a trackable task. The company, zipBoard Tech, created this solution to help teams manage feedback centrally and improve project delivery times.

zipBoard Features

• Visual Annotation Tools: Users can mark up web pages, documents, and videos using tools like a pen, highlighter, and arrows to give precise visual feedback.
• Review Multiple Content Types: It supports a wide range of digital assets, including live websites, HTML files, images (JPG, PNG), PDFs, and videos (MP4).
• Task Management: Every annotation or comment can be converted into a task. These tasks can be assigned to team members, given a priority level, and tracked until they are resolved.
• Centralized Dashboard: All projects, feedback, and tasks are organized in one place. This helps project managers monitor progress and keeps the entire team aligned.
• Collaborator Roles: You can invite internal team members, clients, and other stakeholders to projects with different permission levels, ensuring everyone sees only what is relevant to them.
• Screen and Video Recording: Users can record their screen to demonstrate bugs or explain complex feedback, providing more context than a simple screenshot.
• Automatic Environment Data: For bug tracking, zipBoard automatically captures important technical information like the browser, operating system, and screen resolution with each report.
• Version Control: You can upload and compare different versions of a design or document, making it easy to track changes and revisions over time.

zipBoard Pricing Plans

zipBoard offers several pricing tiers to fit different team sizes and needs.

• Starter Plan: This plan is designed for individuals or very small teams just getting started. It typically includes a limited number of projects and users, with access to core review and annotation features.
• Team Plan: Aimed at growing teams, this plan offers more projects, more users, and additional features like guest collaboration and increased storage. It is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
• Business Plan: This tier is for larger organizations that require more advanced capabilities. It includes everything in the Team plan plus more robust project management features, priority support, and integrations with other tools.
• Enterprise Plan: A custom solution for large corporations with specific needs. This plan provides advanced security features, custom integrations, dedicated support, and unlimited projects and users.

zipBoard Free Plan

zipBoard offers a free plan that is ideal for individuals or small projects. The free plan typically includes one active project, a limited number of collaborators, and access to the basic visual feedback and task management tools. It is a good way to test the platform's core functionality before committing to a paid subscription. For those needing more features or projects, zipBoard also provides a free trial of its paid plans, which does not require a credit card to start.

How to use zipBoard

Getting started with zipBoard is a straightforward process.

1. Sign Up: Create a free account on the zipBoard website.
2. Create a Project: Once logged in, create your first project and give it a name.
3. Add Content: Add the digital asset you want to review. You can enter a website URL, or upload files like PDFs, images, or video files.
4. Start Reviewing: Use the toolbar to add feedback. You can draw shapes, add text comments, or record your screen to explain an issue.
5. Create and Assign Tasks: Each piece of feedback you add creates a task in the project dashboard. You can add details, set a priority, and assign the task to a team member.
6. Collaborate and Resolve: Team members will receive notifications for assigned tasks. They can comment on the task, ask for clarification, and mark it as resolved once the work is complete. All communication is kept within the task for easy tracking.

Pros and Cons of zipBoard

Pros:

• Versatile Tool: Supports a wide variety of file types, making it useful for different kinds of teams (web development, marketing, e-learning).
• Centralized Feedback: Keeps all comments, tasks, and files in one place, eliminating messy email chains and spreadsheets.
• Contextual Feedback: Allows users to comment directly on the content, which reduces misunderstandings.
• Good for Client Collaboration: Simple for non-technical clients to use for providing feedback.
• Integrated Task Management: Combines visual review with a simple but effective bug and task tracking system.

Cons:

• User Interface: Some users report that the interface can feel slow or less modern compared to some competitors.
• Learning Curve: While basic features are easy, mastering the full workflow and advanced settings can take some time.
• Limited Free Plan: The free plan is restrictive, allowing only one project, which may not be enough for proper evaluation.
• Mobile Experience: The experience for reviewing content on mobile devices can be improved.

zipBoard integrations

zipBoard connects with popular project management and communication tools to help teams work more efficiently.

• Jira Integration: You can push tasks and bugs created in zipBoard directly into your Jira projects. This syncs the feedback from reviewers with the development team's workflow.
• Slack Integration: Receive real-time notifications about project activity, new comments, and task updates directly in your Slack channels.
• Wrike Integration: Connect zipBoard with Wrike to manage feedback and review cycles within your existing Wrike project management setup.
• Zapier Integration: Through Zapier, you can connect zipBoard to hundreds of other applications to automate workflows, such as creating tasks in Asana or Trello from zipBoard feedback.

zipBoard Alternatives

• Markup.io: A direct competitor focused on visual feedback for websites and images. It is known for its simple and clean user interface, making it very easy for clients to use.
• Filestage: A strong alternative for creative teams, especially for video and document review. It has a more structured approval workflow with clear stages, which is great for formal review processes.
• BugHerd: This tool is primarily a bug tracking solution for websites. It adds a sidebar to a live website, allowing users to report bugs visually. It is less focused on document or video review.
• Pastel: Now part of Framer, Pastel is a very simple tool for collecting feedback on websites. Its main strength is its ease of use, allowing anyone to leave comments on a webpage with just a link.

zipBoard API

Yes, zipBoard provides a REST API for developers. This allows you to integrate zipBoard's functionality into your own applications or create custom workflows. You can use the API to manage projects, users, tasks, and files programmatically. To get access to the API and obtain an API key, you typically need to be on a paid plan. The key can usually be generated from your account settings or by contacting zipBoard's support team.

Here is a basic example of how to fetch projects using the API with cURL:

curl -X GET 'https://api.zipboard.co/v1/projects' \
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'

For detailed documentation, it is best to visit the developer section on their official website or contact their support.

zipBoard Affiliate program

zipBoard does not have a publicly advertised affiliate program with set commission rates. However, they are often open to partnerships and collaborations. If you are interested in becoming a partner or promoting zipBoard, the best approach is to contact their sales or support team directly through their website. You can inquire about potential partnership opportunities, referral programs, or influencer collaborations they might offer.