Skyrim Quests: A Practical Checklist Guide

Updated 10 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide helps you find and finish Skyrim’s major questlines, side quests, faction stories, and easily missed objectives without assuming every quest has one fixed route. Before you start, decide whether you mean the base game or also want the Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn add-ons; quest availability and endings can depend on your choices, level, and edition.

What You’ll Need

A current save file and access to the in-game Journal, which contains your active quests and miscellaneous objectives.
A map or checklist where you can mark questlines as found, active, completed, or intentionally skipped. Save a separate copy before major faction or story decisions.
The relevant add-ons if you want to cover their quests. Anniversary Edition content adds more quests and activities, so define your scope before tracking completion.
Time for exploration: many quests begin through conversations, books, letters, locations, or level-based events rather than a single master list.

Step-by-Step

Set a realistic definition of “every quest.” Skyrim does not offer a definitive in-game checklist of every quest, and some radiant quests can repeat indefinitely. Pick a scope: base-game named quests, named quests plus add-ons, or every objective you personally encounter. Treat repeatable radiant jobs as a separate category rather than trying to finish them all.
Make a tracking sheet. Use columns for quest or questline, how you found it, status, and notes about choices or prerequisites. Start with the major groups: main quest, Civil War, Companions, College of Winterhold, Thieves Guild, Dark Brotherhood, Daedric quests, and miscellaneous named quests. Add Dawnguard and Dragonborn categories if those add-ons are installed. A community wiki checklist can help locate candidates, but verify details against your game and chosen edition.
Check the Journal before and after each session. Open the Journal and review both active quests and miscellaneous objectives. Mark what is active, then mark it complete only when the game records completion or the relevant objective disappears. Some quests have several stages; reaching a new location or defeating an enemy does not necessarily finish the quest.
Find leads by talking to people. Speak with innkeepers, court officials, faction members, and named NPCs, especially when visiting a new town. Use available dialogue options and ask about rumors or local work. Return after important story events or level increases, since some leads only become available after a prerequisite.
Explore towns and named locations methodically. Visit each hold’s capital, look for quest markers and named characters, and investigate places introduced by dialogue, notes, books, or map discoveries. Keep a list of locations you have not explored. A marker can point to a dungeon or person, but it does not prove that all quests there are complete.
Start faction questlines deliberately. Visit each faction’s headquarters and ask how to join. Follow its introductory tasks, then check back with its leaders when the Journal indicates a stage is finished. Faction stories have their own progression and may not appear simply by wandering. The Civil War requires choosing a side; record that decision because the opposing faction’s campaign is not available in the same playthrough in the same way.
Advance the main story while watching prerequisites. Follow the main quest’s Journal markers and speak to the named characters it directs you to. Some other quests require particular main-story progress, character levels, or earlier quest completion. If a lead is unavailable, continue another questline, gain levels through normal play, and revisit the relevant person or location later.
Search for Daedric and other location-based quests. Daedric quests often begin through a particular character, shrine, or location and can have level or prerequisite requirements. Use a reliable checklist to identify likely starting points, then visit them and speak to the relevant NPC. Record the outcome, especially where a choice changes the reward or how the quest concludes.
Handle add-on quests in separate sections. For Dawnguard, follow the initial lead that directs you toward its conflict, then track the faction path you choose. For Dragonborn, follow the main quest’s lead to Solstheim and keep that island’s objectives separate from Skyrim’s mainland list. Hearthfire focuses on property and building activities; do not confuse those systems with ordinary quest completion. Exact availability varies by installed content and prior choices.
Resolve open objectives and confirm completion. Revisit unfinished Journal entries, read their wording carefully, and follow the current marker rather than an old note. If an objective says to report back, return to the quest giver. Once the Journal updates, mark the quest complete and write down any branch you did not take. Do not count optional radiant jobs as a single permanently finishable questline.
Do a final audit without chasing a false 100%. Compare your Journal and tracker with a checklist for your chosen game content. Investigate unexplained missing entries and confirm that add-ons are installed and accessible. Skyrim’s branching decisions, missed opportunities, radiant tasks, and version-specific content mean there is no universal in-game “all quests complete” flag.

Common Mistakes

Assuming every quest is available at once: Some require a level, a previous quest, a conversation, or a story decision. A missing quest is not automatically a bug.
Confusing radiant work with unique quests: Repeatable jobs can generate new targets. Track the named quest or questline, not every generated assignment as a separate completion requirement.
Following a guide for the wrong edition: Add-ons and Anniversary Edition content change what appears in a checklist. Confirm what is installed before comparing counts.
Overlooking branching choices: Some outcomes exclude alternatives or change later events. Keep a backup save before a major decision if you want to explore another route later.
Marking a quest complete too early: Finish the final Journal objective and report back when requested. Defeating a target may only complete one stage.

Tips

Use consistent status labels: “not found,” “available,” “active,” “complete,” and “choice locked.” This distinguishes a missing lead from an unfinished task.
Write down NPC names and locations when someone mentions a rumor. It is easy to forget a lead when several quests are active.
Keep only a manageable number of active quests selected. The Journal can track many entries, but focusing on one region or questline makes markers easier to interpret.
Make a manual save before entering a major faction finale, choosing a side, or starting a quest with a consequential choice.
Use an external checklist as a reference, not as proof that your save is incomplete. Lists may include content you do not own or alternate outcomes that cannot all occur in one playthrough.

Troubleshooting

A quest giver has no relevant dialogue: Check whether the quest requires a certain level, an earlier quest, or progress in the main story. Complete nearby Journal tasks, advance time or level through ordinary play, and speak to the character again. Check your edition’s requirements if the quest comes from add-on content.

The marker points somewhere unexpected: Read the current objective text, switch the active quest in the Journal, and check whether the marker targets an item, person, or location. Some objectives require you to search inside a building or dungeon rather than stand at the map marker.

The quest appears stuck: Leave the area and return, speak again to the quest giver, and verify that a required item or conversation has not been missed. Make a new manual save before experimenting. On PC, avoid console commands unless you understand the risk: forcing quest stages can skip dialogue, break later objectives, or affect achievements. On any platform, reload an earlier save if a key character or objective is irretrievably unavailable.

Your checklist count does not match a guide: Compare the guide’s stated edition, platform, and definition of a quest. It may count radiant tasks, added content, or alternate outcomes differently. Use quest names and prerequisites rather than a total number as your audit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I complete every Skyrim quest in one playthrough?
Not every alternative outcome. Some choices lock out another path, and radiant assignments may repeat. You can complete a broad set of unique quests, but a universal one-save completion is not a reliable goal.

Does Skyrim have an official all-quests checklist?
No. The Journal tracks your discovered and active objectives, but it does not list every undiscovered quest or provide a single completion percentage.

How do I find quests I have not started?
Talk to NPCs in towns and faction locations, investigate leads from books and notes, explore named places, and use a checklist that matches your installed content. Revisit people after meeting likely prerequisites.

Do side quests disappear if I ignore them?
Many remain available, but availability can depend on characters, story progress, or choices. If a quest matters to you, start it when you find the lead and keep a save before major decisions.

Should I complete the main quest first?
That is optional. You can alternate between the main story, factions, and side quests. Some quests depend on main-story progress, so return to earlier leads if they were unavailable.

Do mods change what counts as every quest?
Yes. Mods can add, alter, or conflict with quests. Track the base game and official add-ons separately from mod content, and use instructions for the specific mod setup you have installed.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.