---
title: Task Settings
description: Manage statuses, labels, buckets, templates, cycles, and task ID keys for a workspace.
---

Task settings apply to the whole workspace. Open **Settings** (`Cmd/Ctrl + ,`) and find the **Tasks** group, which has pages for **Statuses**, **Labels**, **Buckets**, **Templates**, **Cycles**, and **Task IDs**.

Projects can use a smaller set of statuses, labels, and buckets than the workspace offers. Set that from **Edit project**. See [Projects](/tasks/projects#limiting-statuses-labels-and-buckets).

## Statuses

Every status belongs to a **category**, which sets its icon and whether its tasks count as open, completed, or cancelled:

| Category | Built-in status | Counts as |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Backlog | **Backlog** | Open |
| Unstarted | **Todo** | Open |
| Started | **In progress** | Open |
| Review | **In review** | Open |
| Completed | **Done** | Closed (completed) |
| Cancelled | **Cancelled** | Closed (cancelled) |

The built-in statuses can't be changed. Click **+** (**New status**) in a category to add your own, such as *QA* under Review or *Blocked* under Started. Custom statuses can be renamed, recoloured, and moved up or down.

Deleting a custom status moves its tasks to the category's built-in status, or to the nearest status their project uses. Octarine tells you how many tasks will move before you confirm.

## Labels

Labels tag tasks across projects. New workspaces start with **Bug**, **Feature**, and **Improvement**. Add, rename, recolour, or delete labels under **Workspace labels**. Renaming or deleting a label updates every task that has it.

You can also create a label on the fly: type a new name in any task's label picker and choose **Create label**.

## Buckets

Buckets are lanes you sort tasks into by hand, like **Now**, **Next**, and **Later**. A task can be in one bucket at a time. Group a list or board by bucket to work from them. Add, rename, recolour, reorder, or delete buckets here. Deleting a bucket takes its tasks out of it.

## Templates

Templates start new tasks with a title, description, project, status, priority, labels, bucket, and subtasks already filled in. Click **New template** to create one, or **Edit** to change one.

- The title is a prefix new tasks start with, such as `Bug: `.
- The description is Markdown, so it can hold a checklist or a set of headings to fill in.
- The project can be a specific project or **Current project**, which uses whichever project you're creating the task in.

To turn an existing task into a template, right-click it and choose **Save as template**.

Use a template from the **Template** picker in the new-task dialog, or set one as a project's [default template](/tasks/projects#default-template). If a template refers to a status, bucket, or project that has since been deleted, that part is skipped.

## Cycles

Turn cycles on and set their length and start day. See [Cycles](/tasks/cycles).

## Task IDs

Each project numbers its tasks under its own key, which you change from **Edit project**. This page lists every project's key and lets you set the key for **Tasks without a project**, which is **TASK** by default.

#### Quick Answers

### Can I add my own task statuses?

Yes. In **Settings → Tasks → Statuses**, click **New status** under the category it belongs to. The category decides whether its tasks count as open, completed, or cancelled.

### Where do I manage task labels?

In **Settings → Tasks → Labels**. You can also create a label from any task's label picker.

### Can I make a template from an existing task?

Yes. Right-click the task and choose **Save as template**.