Intro to Workflow States

Video Placeholder Duration: 3-5 minutes Topics covered: What are states, state groups, customizing states, default states, best practices

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What are Workflow States?

Workflow States represent the lifecycle stages that work items move through as they progress from idea to completion.

States answer the question: "Where is this work item in our process?"

Every work item has a state that tells you its current status — whether it's waiting in the backlog, being worked on, or already done.

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The Five State Groups

Plane organizes states into five predefined groups. You can customize the states within each group, but the groups themselves are fixed:

State Group	Purpose	Default State
Backlog	Items needing preparation or discussion before prioritization	Backlog
Unstarted	Planned work that hasn't begun yet	Todo
Started	Work actively being done	In Progress
Completed	Finished work	Done
Cancelled	Items no longer relevant or actionable	Cancelled

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Understanding State Flow

Work items typically flow from left to right through the state groups:

However, work items can move in any direction — you might move something from "In Progress" back to "Todo" if priorities change.

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Default States

Every new project comes with these default states:

State	Group	Description
Backlog	Backlog	Items to be discussed/refined
Todo	Unstarted	Ready to be started
In Progress	Started	Currently being worked on
Done	Completed	Finished
Cancelled	Cancelled	No longer needed

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Customizing States

Tailor states to match your team's workflow:

Access State Settings

1. Go to Project Settings
2. Select the States tab

Add a New State

1. Click the + button next to any state group
2. Enter the state name
3. Add an optional description
4. Click Create

Edit an Existing State

1. Hover over the state
2. Click the pencil icon
3. Modify the name and description
4. Click Update

Remove a State

1. Hover over the state
2. Click the x icon
3. Confirm deletion

Note: You can only delete a state if no work items are assigned to it.

Reorder States

Drag and drop states within their group to change their order.

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Setting a Default State

The default state is automatically assigned to new work items when no state is specified.

To change the default:

1. Go to Project Settings → States
2. Find the state you want as default
3. Click the options menu
4. Select Set as default

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Example Custom Workflows

Software Development Team

Backlog: Backlog, Needs Refinement
Unstarted: Ready for Dev
Started: In Development, In Review, In QA
Completed: Done, Deployed
Cancelled: Won't Do

Design Team

Backlog: Ideas, Needs Brief
Unstarted: Ready to Design
Started: Designing, In Feedback, Revising
Completed: Approved, Handed Off
Cancelled: Rejected

Support Team

Backlog: New Tickets
Unstarted: Triaged
Started: Investigating, Waiting on Customer
Completed: Resolved
Cancelled: Duplicate, Invalid

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State Colors and Icons

Each state group has a distinct color to provide visual clarity:

Group	Typical Color
Backlog	Gray
Unstarted	Blue
Started	Yellow/Orange
Completed	Green
Cancelled	Red

These colors appear throughout Plane — in lists, boards, and dashboards — helping you quickly identify work item status.

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Best Practices

• Keep it simple — Start with fewer states and add more as needed
• Clear names — Use descriptive names that everyone understands
• Match your process — States should reflect how your team actually works
• Avoid bottlenecks — If work items pile up in one state, consider splitting it
• Regular review — Periodically assess if your states still serve your team

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Key Takeaways

• Workflow states track where work items are in your process
• States are organized into five groups: Backlog, Unstarted, Started, Completed, Cancelled
• Customize states in Project Settings → States
• Each project can have its own unique state configuration
• The default state is assigned to new work items automatically

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Next Steps

Save time on repetitive tasks by using Templates to create standardized work items. Let's learn how.

Next Lesson: Intro to Templates