Free template
Free access review checklist (Excel)
A user access review has more moving parts than a single spreadsheet of names — you have to scope the systems, pull the access lists, assign reviewers, chase the decisions, complete the revocations, and file the evidence. This checklist lays out every step in order, with columns to track who owns each one and whether it’s done. It’s a free .xlsx — no email, no sign-up.
Download the checklist
Free · .xlsx · no email required
What’s in the checklist
The workbook has an instructions tab and a checklist tab that walks the review through four phases — scope, review, remediate, and evidence — with a row per step:
- A Phase column grouping steps into Scope, Review, Remediate, and Evidence.
- A Step description so nothing gets skipped between quarters.
- Owner and Due Date columns so each step is assigned and time-boxed.
- A Status dropdown (Not started / In progress / Done / N/A) to track progress.
- A Notes column for links to exported access lists, tickets, and evidence files.
How to use it
At the start of each review cycle, copy the checklist tab into a new sheet named for the period. Assign an owner and due date to each step, then work top to bottom: confirm the in-scope systems, export and distribute the access lists, collect keep/revoke decisions from the accountable owners, complete the revocations, and file the evidence. Keep the finished checklist alongside the completed review as proof the control operated as designed.
Where a spreadsheet falls short
A checklist keeps the process honest, but it’s still a manual paper trail. Nothing enforces the order, nothing reminds an owner their step is overdue, and the “Done” box is a claim, not proof — the revocation may or may not have actually happened in the system. When you want the steps to run themselves — reminders when a review is due, revocations tracked to completion, and evidence generated as you go — Useboards runs the whole cycle as a single controlled workflow instead of a checklist you have to police.
Frequently asked questions
Is this access review checklist really free?
Yes — download the Excel file with no email or sign-up. It’s made by Useboards; if the manual process gets heavy, our product runs the same cycle for you.
How often should we run an access review?
Quarterly is a common cadence for privileged and production access; lower-risk systems are often reviewed less frequently, depending on your risk assessment and control design. The checklist works for whatever cadence your policy defines — copy it once per cycle.
What’s the difference between the checklist and the review template?
The checklist tracks the process end to end — the steps, owners, and status. The user access review template is the sheet where reviewers actually mark each access keep or revoke. Most teams use both: the checklist to run the cycle, the review template to capture the decisions.
Related
Tired of policing the checklist?
Run the whole review cycle as one workflow — reminders, tracked revocations, evidence as you go.