> ## 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.

# Work orders

> Understand the record that carries a maintenance job from planning through preserved history.

A work order is the operating record for one maintenance task. It brings scope, ownership, timing, execution details, and history together so a team can plan the job and understand what happened later.

## What a work order can contain

* Title, description, picture, files, priority, and custom fields
* One assigned user or one assigned team
* Asset and location
* Due Date and Scheduled Start
* One attached procedure snapshot
* Planned parts and their inventory state
* Comments and an activity timeline
* A linked request or Maintenance Plan occurrence

Work orders can begin from a blank form, a [Work Order Template](/help/work-orders/templates), an approved [Request](/help/requests/overview), an automation, or a [Maintenance Plan](/help/maintenance-plans/overview).

## Status lifecycle

| Status      | Meaning                                              | List tab |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | -------- |
| Open        | The task is ready to plan or start.                  | To Do    |
| In Progress | Work is underway.                                    | To Do    |
| On Hold     | Work has paused and remains active.                  | To Do    |
| Done        | Work is complete. Canary records completion details. | Done     |
| Canceled    | The task has ended without completion.               | Done     |
| Skipped     | The team intentionally omitted the task.             | Done     |

The web edit form offers **Open**, **On Hold**, **In Progress**, and **Done**. On mobile, **Mark as Canceled** and **Mark as Skipped** are available from the work-order actions menu.

Completed, canceled, and skipped work orders are historical records. Canary also protects an active work order from deletion after it gains maintenance history such as procedure responses, issued parts, time, expenses, comments, schedule changes, files, or meaningful activity.

## Assignment and visibility

A work order can have a user assignee or a team assignee. Selecting one clears the other.

Admins can see all work orders. Members can see all work orders when **Work order visibility** is **Full**. With **Limited** visibility, members see work they created, work assigned to them, and work assigned to their teams. Operators see directly assigned and team-assigned work.

The **To Do** view groups visible records under headings such as **Assigned to Me**, **Assigned to My Teams**, **Created by Me**, and **All Open Work Orders**, according to the viewer's role and visibility.

## Common tasks

* [Create a work order](/help/work-orders/create)
* [Update status and assignment](/help/work-orders/status-and-assignment)
* [Track time, cost, and parts](/help/work-orders/time-and-cost)
* [Use comments, activity, and PDF export](/help/work-orders/comments-activity-and-pdf)
* [Create reusable Work Order Templates](/help/work-orders/templates)
* [Schedule work](/help/reports/schedule)