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Work item types

The seven built-in work item types, and how to add, rename, recolour and remove types for your organization.

Every work item has a type: the kind of work it is. Seven types come with every organization. Under SettingsWork item types you can rename and recolour them, and add your own, such as Incident, Chore or Research spike, when the built-in ones don’t describe your work.

The built-in types#

TypeKeyTypical use
TasktaskA unit of work. The default for new items and board quick add.
BugbugSomething broken. Used by the Bug Board view template.
StorystoryA piece of user-facing value.
EpicepicA large body of work broken into stories and tasks.
InitiativeinitiativeA cross-cutting effort above epics.
SubtasksubtaskCreated by the Subtasks panel on an item’s page.
MilestonemilestoneA point in time. Drawn as a diamond on the Gantt.

Built-in types are marked Built in. They can be renamed and recoloured but not removed, because parts of the product refer to them directly.

Who can use it#

Permissions

work_item_type.manage
Everyone can see the list on the Work item types tab. Every create form and type picker uses it. Adding, renaming, recolouring and removing types needs work_item_type.manage, which Owners and Admins have by default.

Add a type#

  1. Open Settings → Work item types

    The add form is below the list.

  2. Enter a key

    Key is the short name the system uses: lowercase letters, digits and underscores, starting with a letter, 2–50 characters. For example incident or research_spike.

  3. Enter a name and pick a colour

    Name (up to 60 characters) is what everyone sees. Pick one of eight Colour swatches so the type is easy to recognise.

  4. Select Add type

    The type is available straight away in every project.

The key is permanent

A type’s key can’t be changed after it’s created. Recurring rules, work item templates and integrations refer to types by key. The name is what people read, and you can change it at any time.

Rename or recolour a type#

On the type’s row, edit Rename …, choose a new Colour, and select Save. The change applies everywhere at once, including to every item of that type. If your organization says “Ticket” rather than “Task”, rename it: nothing breaks, because the key stays the same.

Remove a type#

Types you added have a Delete button. Each row shows how many work items use the type (“No work items” or “n work items”). A type can only be removed once nothing uses it, including recurring rules and templates. If items still use it, change their type first (see below), then delete.

Change an item’s type#

Open the project’s Board, set Swimlanes to Type, and drag the card into the lane for the new type. Converting keeps the item’s key, status, assignee, comments and history.

FAQ#

Why can’t I delete Task or Subtask?
Quick add creates Tasks, the Subtasks panel creates Subtasks, and the view templates filter on built-in types. Removing one would break those, so rename it instead.
It says work items are still using the type.
Change those items to another type, then delete it. The row’s count tells you how many are left.
Can a type have its own fields?
No. Custom fields apply to every type. A type decides how work is labelled, grouped and filtered, not which fields it has.
Are types per project?
No. Types are shared by the whole organization, so every project uses the same list.

Still stuck? Search the docs with ⌘K, open Help inside UnitX, or contact support.