> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.oncanary.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a work order

> Capture a maintenance task with the context, ownership, and dates your team needs.

Create a work order for a job your maintenance team is ready to plan or perform. Use a [Request](/help/requests/create-and-review) first when the work needs review and approval.

## Create a blank work order

1. Open **Work Orders**.
2. Select **New Work Order**.
3. Choose **Blank Work Order** if Canary asks how you want to start.
4. Enter the required **Title**.
5. Add a **Picture**, **Description**, and **Files** for the technician. Work-order files accept PDF or DOCX files up to 50 MB.
6. Add **Parts for this Work Order** when the Parts feature is enabled.
7. Select a **Location** and **Asset**. You can use **Create New Location** or **Create New Asset** from the same form.
8. Select **Add Procedure** when the job should follow a standard procedure.
9. Complete any organization-defined custom fields.
10. Set **Status**, **Priority**, **Assigned To**, **Due Date**, and **Scheduled Start**.
11. Select **Create**.

The form supports **Low**, **Medium**, **High**, and **Critical** priorities. A new work order can start as **Open**, **On Hold**, **In Progress**, or **Done**.

## Start from a Work Order Template

1. Select **New Work Order**, then choose a template, or open **Work Order Templates** and select **Use in New Work Order**.
2. Review every prefilled value.
3. Add job-specific context and adjust the assignment, asset, location, dates, procedure, or parts.
4. Select **Create**.

The current template editor can prefill the title, description, picture, priority, assignment, location, asset, procedure, and a due-date offset. See [Work Order Templates](/help/work-orders/templates).

## Dates serve different purposes

* **Due Date** communicates the completion target and drives due-date filters and calendar placement.
* **Scheduled Start** places the work at a specific date and time. Admins can also set it from the [Schedule](/help/reports/schedule).

## Before creating work as Done

Review planned parts before selecting **Done**. Completion issues pending quantities from inventory when Parts is enabled and preserves an issued snapshot for maintenance history.

After creation, Canary records a creation event, notifies initial assignees, and opens the work order for ongoing updates.