To track feature requests, keep one list for every request from every channel, record the customer’s words, who asked, their company and revenue, how important it is to them, and where it came from. Merge duplicates into one request with every customer attached, give each request a status such as Under review, Planned, In progress, Shipped or Closed, and review the list weekly. A spreadsheet works for the first few dozen requests. After that, a feature request tool such as Murmur, Canny or Featurebase saves time by capturing requests automatically, merging duplicates, ranking by votes and revenue and emailing customers when the status changes.
Most teams track feature requests the same way at first: a spreadsheet, a Notion page or a Slack channel. It works until it does not. The same request appears six times, nobody knows which customer asked, and when it finally ships nobody remembers to tell them. Here is a simple system that holds up as you grow.
What feature request tracking is
Keeping one record of every feature customers ask for, linked to the customers who asked, with a status that changes as the team decides, builds and ships it.
Tracking is the middle of the process. Before it comes collecting requests from every channel, which we cover in how to collect customer feedback. After it comes deciding what to build, covered in how to prioritize feature requests.
What to record for each request
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Request title | A short, plain name others can find and vote on |
| Customer’s words | Keeps the real need behind the request |
| Customer and company | So you can follow up and see who is asking |
| Revenue | So the request is weighted by what it is worth |
| Importance | Nice to have, important or must have |
| Source | Board, widget, email, chat, call or community |
| Date | Shows how long a request has been waiting |
| Status | Where it stands now |
Merging duplicates
Duplicates are the biggest reason trackers fall apart. “Dark mode”, “night theme” and “easier on the eyes at night” are one request. If you track them as three, each one looks small and none gets built.
- Search before adding. Most duplicates come from people not checking.
- When you merge, keep every customer and their words attached to the surviving request.
- Use plain request titles, so the next person finds the existing one.
- Let customers vote on existing requests instead of creating new ones.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning | Tell the customer? |
|---|---|---|
| Under review | Logged, not decided | Optional |
| Planned | We will build it | Yes |
| In progress | Someone is working on it | Yes |
| Shipped | It is live | Yes, with how to use it |
| Closed | We will not build it | Yes, with the reason |
Show the Planned, In progress and Shipped items on a public roadmap, so customers can follow along without asking.
A free feature request template
Copy these columns into a spreadsheet to get started:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Request | Scheduled PDF reports |
| Customer’s words | “Finance asks me for screenshots every Monday.” |
| Customer | Dana |
| Company | Halcyon Health |
| Revenue (MRR) | $3,200 |
| Importance | Important |
| Source | Sales call |
| Date | 2026-11-03 |
| Status | Under review |
| Related | Link to ticket or call notes |
A weekly tracking routine
- Add any requests from the week’s calls, tickets and chats that are not in yet.
- Merge duplicates and fix vague titles.
- Update statuses for anything that started or shipped.
- Tell the customers attached to anything that changed.
- Look at the top ten by customers and revenue, and decide what moves to Planned.
Thirty minutes a week is enough for most small teams. The full process, including who owns what, is in our guide to customer feedback management.
Spreadsheet or tool?
| Spreadsheet | Feature request tool | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free plans available, paid from about $13 to $79 a month |
| Capture | Copy and paste by hand | Widget, portal, email, chat and calls |
| Duplicates | Manual | Suggested as people type, merged with customers attached |
| Customer votes | No | Yes |
| Revenue per request | Manual pivot | Automatic |
| Notifying customers | Manual emails | Automatic on every status change |
| Public roadmap | No | Yes |
A spreadsheet is fine for your first few dozen requests. Move to a tool when duplicates pile up, more than one person adds requests, or you have customers waiting to hear back. Our best customer feedback software guide compares ten options.
Tracking feature requests in Murmur
Murmur keeps every request in one list. Customers post and vote on your feedback portal or in your app, and similar ideas appear as they type, so duplicates are rare. Autopilot adds the requests it finds in forwarded emails, Slack and Discord. Every request shows its customers, their importance and their revenue, and every voter gets an email when the status changes. It is free for one board with unlimited voters, and Solo is $19 a month. See feature request management for a tour.
Frequently asked questions
How do you track feature requests?
Keep one list for every request from every channel. Record the customer's words, who asked, their company and revenue, how important it is and where it came from. Merge duplicates, give each request a status, and review the list weekly.
What is the best way to track feature requests?
Use a feature request tool once you have more than a few dozen requests. It captures requests from email, chat and an in-app widget, merges duplicates, ranks requests by votes and revenue and notifies customers when the status changes. Murmur, Canny and Featurebase are common choices.
Can I track feature requests in a spreadsheet?
Yes, at first. A spreadsheet with columns for the request, customer, company, revenue, importance, source and status works for a small number of requests. It gets hard once you have many duplicates, several people adding requests and customers to notify.
What fields should a feature request template have?
Request title, the customer's words, customer name, company, revenue, importance, source channel, date, status, and a link to any related requests or tickets.
How do you handle duplicate feature requests?
Merge them into one request and keep every customer attached, so the request shows its full demand. Good feature request tools suggest similar requests as people type, so customers vote instead of creating duplicates.
How do you tell customers about the status of their feature request?
Email everyone attached to a request each time its status changes, and link the request from a public roadmap. Feature request tools can send these emails automatically.
Collect it, rank it, ship it, tell everyone
Murmur is customer feedback software for small SaaS teams: a feedback portal and widget, AI that captures requests from email, revenue on every vote, and emails to every voter when you ship. Free for one board with unlimited voters.