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Manage work item progress using States

Managing work items effectively is at the heart of every project, and Plane provides a robust system for organizing them into states that represent the stages of a work item's lifecycle. As work items transition through these states—from backlog to completion—they reflect the progression of work in your project, forming a clear and efficient workflow for your team.

State groups​

Work item states

Plane organizes work item states into five primary groups, each serving a distinct purpose in your project’s workflow:

  • Backlog
    Use this group for work items that aren’t ready to be prioritized yet. They might need more discussions or preparation before moving forward. By default, Plane creates a state called Backlog in this group.

  • Unstarted
    This group represents work items that are planned but not yet in progress. They’re essentially your team’s to-do list. The default state in this group is Todo.

  • Started
    Work items in this group are actively being worked on. They represent ongoing tasks and are crucial for tracking current progress. Plane creates a default state called In Progress here.

  • Completed
    These states are for work items that your team has successfully finished. By default, Plane includes a Done state in this group.

  • Cancelled: Use this group for work items that are no longer relevant or actionable. Plane provides a default state called Cancelled for this purpose.

Customize states​

You can customize each state group to match your project's workflow by adding, editing, or removing states.

Navigate to the States tab under Project > Settings.

Modify states

Add state​

  1. Click the "+" button next to the group where you want the new state.
  2. Rearrange states within the group to reflect your preferred workflow.

You can also designate a state as the default for the project. New work items without an assigned state will automatically fall into this default state.

Edit state​

  1. Hover over the state you want to edit.
  2. Click the pencil icon and change the name and description.
  3. Click Update to save changes.

Delete state​

Before removing a state, ensure no work items are currently assigned to it. Once it's clear, you can delete the state by clicking the x icon on the state.