Task statuses explained
What each task status means in your Chykalophia ClickUp workspace, and what action (if any) is needed from you.
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Every task in ClickUp has a colored status label that tells you where that piece of work stands right now. This guide explains what each status means — and when one requires something from you.
Quick summary
Tasks move through the statuses in order as work progresses: from To Do through In Progress and In Review, all the way to Complete. The one to watch for is Waiting on Client — that means we need something from you before work can continue. A status asking for your sign-off, such as Needs Approval, needs you too.
What the statuses mean
The table below covers the standard statuses in your workspace. Status colors are picked when a project's statuses are set up, so the colors in your project may differ slightly. Go by the status name.
| Status | Color | What it means | Do you need to act? |
|---|---|---|---|
| To Do | Gray | Work is planned but hasn't started yet. | No |
| In Progress | Blue | A team member is actively working on this right now. | No |
| Waiting on Client | Yellow / Orange | We need something from you — feedback, a file, or a decision. | Yes |
| In Review | Purple | Work is done and is being reviewed internally before we send it to you. | No |
| Complete | Green | The task is finished. | No |
Watch for 'Waiting on Client'
When a task switches to Waiting on Client, we'll usually tag you in a comment to explain exactly what we need. You'll get a notification. Check the task's comments section for details.
How status changes happen
The Chykalophia team moves tasks through statuses as work progresses. The one exception is sign-off: when work is ready for you, we may ask you to set the status yourself if your access allows it — see How to approve work in ClickUp and How to request changes. Otherwise you won't need to change statuses, but it's useful to know what each one signals.
Here's the typical journey of a task:
To Do — The task has been created and added to the project. We haven't started it yet. It may be waiting for a scheduled sprint or for earlier tasks to finish first.
In Progress — A team member has picked it up and is working on it. No action needed from you at this point.
Waiting on Client — Work has paused because we need input from you. Open the task, read the latest comment, and respond as soon as you can. Delays here can push back your project timeline.
In Review — We've completed the work and are doing a final internal check. You may receive a preview or proof link shortly.
Complete — The task is done. If you have follow-up requests, you can leave a comment or submit a new request.
Custom statuses
Depending on your project, your workspace may have additional or slightly different statuses — for example, Needs Approval (work is ready for your sign-off), Approved, Changes Requested, or Blocked. These will follow the same principle: a status either means work is flowing normally, or it signals that something needs your attention.
If you ever see a status you don't recognize, leave a comment on the task or ask your project lead.
Finding tasks by status
You can filter your task list to show only tasks with a particular status — for example, to quickly see everything that's Waiting on Client.
Open your project from the Shared with me section of the left sidebar.
Click the Filter button at the top of the view to see the filter options.
Select "Status" from the filter options.
Choose the status you want to see — for example, Waiting on Client.
Your task list updates to show only tasks with that status. Completed tasks are hidden in List view by default. To see them, click Show closed at the top of the list.
Common questions
A task is stuck on 'Waiting on Client' — what do I do?
Open the task and read the most recent comment. We'll have explained what we need from you. Leave a comment with your response, attach any files needed, or let us know if you have questions. See How to comment on a task for help.
A task says 'Complete' but I think something is still wrong.
Leave a comment on the task explaining what you're seeing. Or, if significant new work is needed, use How to submit a new request and reference the original task.
Can I change the status of a task myself?
Mostly we handle it, so the workflow stays accurate. The exception is sign-off: if your access allows it, we may ask you to move a task to Approved or Changes Requested yourself — see How to approve work in ClickUp. In ClickUp, someone with comment-only access can change a task's status only on tasks they're assigned to, so if you don't see a way to change it, just leave a comment on the task and we'll sort it out.
What does 'Blocked' mean if I see it?
Blocked means work has stopped because of an external dependency — for example, waiting on a third-party vendor, a license key, or content we need from you. It's similar to Waiting on Client but not always your action to take. The task comment will say more.
Related guides
- Understanding tasks
- How to comment on a task
- Mentioning people to get their attention
- How to approve work in ClickUp
- How to request changes
- ClickUp notifications explained
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