Custom Columns
Every project starts with four default columns — To Do, In Progress, In Review, and Done — but you can add, rename, recolor, reorder, and delete columns to match your team's actual workflow.
Columns are configured per project, then each sprint can hide individual columns or set WIP limits without affecting other sprints.
Where to manage columns
Open any project and click Board Columns in the sidebar (or visit /projects/:project/columns). You'll see the full list of columns for that project, plus the ability to add, edit, reorder, and delete.
Custom columns are a Pro feature. Hobby projects use the four defaults only.
Completion categories
Every column belongs to one of three completion categories. The category — not the column name — drives analytics and feature behavior.
| Category | Meaning | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Unstarted | Work hasn't been picked up | Stories don't count toward velocity |
| Started | In-flight work | Stories count as cycle-time entries; WIP limits only apply here |
| Completed | Finished work | Counts toward velocity, completion rate, and "done" metrics |
Examples of started-category columns you might add: Blocked, Code Review, QA, Awaiting Deploy.
Each category needs at least one column — the system prevents you from deleting the last unstarted, started, or completed column.
Slugs
Each column has a slug auto-generated from its name (e.g. "Code Review" becomes code_review). Slugs are how the API, MCP tools, and external integrations reference your columns.
Slugs are locked once a column is created. You can rename, recolor, recategorize, or reorder a column anytime — but the slug stays the same so existing integrations keep working.
The default columns ship with stable slugs (todo, in_progress, review, done) that map from the original story status field, so older stories continue to land in the right place.
Adding a column
- Click Add Column on the Board Columns page
- Enter a name (the slug auto-generates from the name)
- Pick a completion category — this determines whether stories in this column count toward velocity and whether WIP limits apply
- Choose a color and a Bootstrap Icon for the board
The new column appears on every sprint board for this project in real time.
Editing a column
Open the kebab menu on any row and select Edit. You can change name, color, icon, and category. Changing the category recategorizes every story currently in that column for analytics purposes.
Deleting a column
Open the kebab menu and select Delete. If the column has stories, you'll be prompted to choose another column to move them to. The category-protection rules apply — you can't delete the last column in any category.
Reordering
Grab the drag handle on any row and drop it into a new position. Order applies to every sprint board in the project.
Per-sprint controls
Some controls are sprint-level, not project-level — different sprints can run different policies:
- Hide columns — toggle visibility per sprint on Settings → Board Columns. Hidden columns don't appear on that sprint's board, but they still exist on the project.
- WIP limits — set a max number of in-flight stories per started-category column on Settings → WIP Limits. Limits apply to that sprint only.
Real-time sync
Adding, editing, deleting, or reordering columns broadcasts to every viewer in real time over ActionCable. Anyone watching the Board Columns page or any sprint board for this project sees the change instantly.