---
key: rename-reorder-or-change-the-starting-status
title: Rename, reorder or change the starting workflow status
audience: staff
section: settings
routes: ["/settings/org/managed-statuses/:domain"]
permissions: ["metadata.managed_statuses.update"]
features: ["settings.org.managed-statuses"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Rename a status Nova provides, change the order statuses appear in, and choose which status new projects, tasks or work orders start in and which one Nova uses for each category.
keywords: [rename status, reorder statuses, status order, starting status, default status, first status, status colour, primary status]
related: [add-or-change-a-workflow-status, create-a-project, create-a-task, create-a-work-order]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Workflow Statuses** under **Records & Fields**, and pick the record type under **Status family**. The page address is `/settings/org/managed-statuses/` followed by the family, for example `project`, `task` or `work-order`, so you can bookmark one family and come straight back to it.

Adding and archiving statuses is covered in [[add-or-change-a-workflow-status]]. This article covers the statuses you already have: renaming Nova's own, reordering them, and choosing where new records start.

## Before you start

- Your role needs permission to create statuses (for **Create override**) and to update them (for **Save**). Without them the buttons are missing.
- Projects, tasks and work orders let you change everything below. Every other family (bookings, tickets, assets, inventory, checklists, feedback, alert incidents) only takes label, description, colour, icon and order changes; the page shows a note about that where **Add status** would be.

## Steps

1. Under **Active statuses by category**, click a status to open its card.
2. If the card shows **Create override**, the status is one Nova provides and its fields are greyed out. Press **Create override**. Nova says **Override created.** and the card becomes your organization's own copy, with the same key.
3. To rename it, change **Label**, and **Description** if you like. The **Key** never changes, so records already in this status keep it and show the new name.
4. To move it, change **Sort order**. Within a category, statuses are listed from the lowest number up. Numbers with gaps (10, 20, 30) leave room for later.
5. Change **Color** (a hex code such as #2563eb) or **Icon** if you want.
6. Press **Save**. Nova says **Status updated.** and the card moves to its new place.
7. To change which status new records start in (projects, tasks and work orders only), open a status you added in the family's starting category: Draft for projects, Todo for tasks, Queued for work orders. Add one first if you have none; on Nova's own statuses the switch stays greyed out.
8. Turn on **Default for new records**.
9. Press **Save**. Nova moves the default: this card's summary now shows **Default**, and the old starting status loses it.
10. To choose the status Nova picks on its own when a record moves into a category (for example the status a project gets when it is archived), open a status you added in that category, turn on **Primary for category** and press **Save**. The previous primary status in that category loses its **Primary** marker.

## What you see

- Each card's summary line lists its category, its key and markers such as **Default**, **Primary**, **Required** or **Archived**. Nova's own statuses end in **System**.

## If something looks different

- **Default for new records** or **Primary for category** is greyed out: the status is one Nova requires, it is in a different category, or this family only allows label, colour, icon and order changes.
- An error under the card says the family must have exactly one default status: you turned the switch off without turning it on somewhere else. Turn it on for the status you want instead; Nova turns off the old one.
- Archiving your status fails: it is the one new records start in, or the primary one for its category. Make another status the default or primary first.
- You cannot move the starting status back to one of Nova's own: its switch is greyed out, so pick another status you added.

[[route:/settings/org/managed-statuses/project|Open Workflow Statuses]]