Selection Fields
Selection fields let you categorize, tag, and track the state of items in your board using predefined options. Each option can be assigned a color, making it easy to scan a board visually and understand the distribution of work at a glance.
Status
The Status field is a single-select field designed specifically for workflow management. It comes with built-in status groups that power several board features such as Kanban lanes and progress tracking.
- Value type: Select (single option)
- Default behavior: Click the cell to choose one status from a dropdown list.
- Typical uses: Task state, approval workflows, pipeline stages.
Status Groups
Every status option belongs to one of three groups:
| Group | Purpose | Default Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Todo | Work that has not started | "Not Started", "Backlog" |
| In Progress | Work that is actively being done | "In Progress", "In Review" |
| Done | Work that is complete | "Done", "Approved" |
These groups drive several features automatically:
- Kanban view --- Columns are organized by status group.
- Tracker fields --- Progress percentages are calculated based on how many linked items are in the Done group.
- Filtering --- You can filter by group (e.g., "show all items not yet Done").
Customizing Status Options
You can add, rename, reorder, and recolor status options at any time through the column settings. Each option requires:
- A label (the display name).
- A color from Copera's palette (Red, Orange, Green, Blue, Yellow, Purple, Gray, and more).
- A group assignment (Todo, In Progress, or Done).
Dropdown
The Dropdown field is a general-purpose single-select field. Unlike Status, it does not have built-in groups --- it is a flat list of options where you pick exactly one.
- Value type: Select (single option)
- Default behavior: Click the cell to choose one option from a dropdown list.
- Typical uses: Priority levels, departments, regions, product categories, risk ratings.
Configuring Options
Each dropdown option has:
- A label for the display text.
- A color to visually distinguish options.
Options can be reordered by dragging them in the column settings panel. When you need more than one selection per row, use the Labels field instead.
Labels
The Labels field is a multi-select field. It works like tags --- you can assign multiple colored labels to a single row, giving you flexible and overlapping categorization.
- Value type: Select (multiple options)
- Default behavior: Click the cell to toggle one or more labels on or off.
- Typical uses: Tags, skill sets, feature categories, cross-functional team assignments, multi-department ownership.
How Labels Differ from Dropdown
| Aspect | Dropdown | Labels |
|---|---|---|
| Selection | Single option only | Multiple options at once |
| Display | Shows one chip | Shows multiple colored chips side by side |
| Use case | Mutually exclusive categories | Overlapping, additive tags |
Configuring Labels
Label options share the same configuration model as Dropdown --- each label has a name and a color. Add, rename, reorder, or delete labels through the column settings at any time.
In the board cell, the first two labels are displayed directly. If a row has more than two labels, a +N indicator appears showing how many additional labels are assigned.
Next Steps
- People & Relations --- Assign team members and connect rows across tables.
- Basic Fields --- Text, number, date, and other foundational field types.
- Field Types Overview --- Return to the full list of all 29 field types.