Task statuses help you accurately track, organize, and complete work in Canopy. This article explains how to use statuses across task types, how to create and manage custom statuses, and how the new Canceled status works.
Why it Matters
Clear status management helps firms keep workloads visible, actionable, and organized. The Canceled status gives you a clean, standardized way to close out tasks that are no longer needed—without deleting them or relying on custom statuses that don’t behave like completed tasks.
Table of Contents
Where Task Statuses Can Be Managed
You can view and update statuses from multiple areas in Canopy:
When creating a new task
In the global Tasks List
Within the task workspace
Inside a client record
Supported task types:
Tasks, Subtasks, eSign Requests, and Notices
– Support default and custom statuses
– Default statuses cannot be deleted
– Custom statuses can be deleted but cannot be renamedQuestionnaires, Document Checklists, and Client Requests
– Use fixed statuses only
– No option to add or remove statuses
Create and Manage Custom Statuses
Custom statuses let you tailor workflow states to your firm's needs.
Create a custom status
Click the status button on a Task, Subtask, eSign Request, or Notice.
Select Add custom status.
Enter a name in the Status name field.
Choose a color using the color picker.
Click Done.
Delete a custom status
Click the X icon on the status you want to remove.
Important: If a custom status is used in automations, removing it will break those automations. Update your automations before deleting a status.
How do Completed statuses work?
When a task is marked Completed, it is hidden from the Tasks List unless Completed Tasks is toggled on.
To show completed tasks:
Navigate to the Tasks List.
Click the three-dot menu.
Select Completed Tasks.
In a client record, scroll to the bottom of the Tasks tab to view completed tasks.
Best Practice: Periodically archive or delete old completed tasks to keep your workspace organized and efficient.
How do Canceled statuses work?
Heads up! Canceled is a new default status. If your account already had a custom status named Canceled or Cancelled, it has been automatically converted to behave like the new built-in Canceled status.
The Canceled status behaves like Completed—but is specifically intended for work that is no longer needed.
The Completed tasks tab needs to be toggled on to display Canceled tasks.
Canceled tasks are removed from the active Tasks List.
In client records, canceled tasks appear in the completed section.
Helps firm owners distinguish true completions from unused or abandoned work.
Available on all task types.
Ideal when a task should be closed out cleanly without marking it as "done."
Canceling Tasks with Active Subtasks
If you cancel a task that still contains active subtasks:
A notification appears with options.
Choose one of the following:
Cancel parent task and all active subtasks, or
Cancel the parent task only (leaving subtasks untouched)
This gives you full control over how cancellation affects dependent work.
Summary
The new Canceled status provides a clear, standardized way to close out tasks that no longer need to move forward—without deleting them or relying on custom statuses. Use default, custom, completed, and canceled statuses to keep tasks organized, support clean automation rules, and maintain accurate workflow visibility across your firm.
Need help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI Support Bot, for assistance.