# Case types and properties

> Set up the kinds of case you track, the statuses each moves through, and their custom properties.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/cases/case-types
Last updated: 2026-09-28

## Case types

A case type is a kind of case, such as a bug, an issue or a complaint. Each has its own statuses and
can have its own properties. Every case has a type, and at least one case type must exist before
cases can be added.

Case types are managed at **Case Management → Case Types**, or **Types** in the Case Management top
bar. Access is controlled by team permissions, and changes apply to every user. See
[Teams and permissions](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/teams).

![The Support request case type, with its statuses](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/cases/case-type-form.png?v=7d66591d)

The page lists your case types, each with its colour. Click a type to open it beside the list. When
there are none, the page says **No Case Types Found**.

### Adding a case type

1. Select **Add Type**.
2. Enter the **Type Name**, up to 100 characters. It is required.
3. Choose the type's colour. It marks the type on the case list and on each case.
4. Add any statuses of your own. See [Statuses](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/cases/case-types#statuses).
5. Select **Save**.

A message confirms **Case type successfully saved.** If anything on the form is wrong, **Save**
stays unavailable and the form says **One or more errors on this form are preventing the save
action.**

To change a type, click it in the list, make your changes and select **Save**.

### Deleting a case type

1. Select the bin icon (**Delete Case Type**) on the type's row.
2. Confirm.

The type, its statuses and its properties can no longer be chosen for new cases or in the case list's
**Type** filter. Cases that already use the type are not deleted.

## Statuses

Every case type has two statuses that are always there and cannot be changed or removed:

| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Open** | The first status of every case |
| **Complete** | The case is finished. Choosing it asks for completion notes. See [Cases](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/cases/cases#changing-the-status) |

The statuses you add sit between them. Adding, changing and removing statuses needs the **Case
Statuses** permission. Without it, the statuses are shown but cannot be changed, with the message
**You don't have permission to manage statuses**.

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Add Status** | Adds a status called **New Status** at the end of your statuses |
| Click a status | Opens **Edit Type Status**, to change the **Status Name**, up to 50 characters, and its colour. **Save** keeps the change and **Cancel** discards it |
| Drag a status | Moves it up or down. The order is the order statuses are offered in on a case |
| Bin icon (**Delete Case Status**) | Removes the status, after you confirm |

Changes to statuses are saved when you select **Save** on the case type.

A case's status is changed from its record or from the case list. See
[Cases](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/cases/cases#changing-the-status).

## Properties

Case properties are custom fields on cases. They are managed from **Case Management → Properties**,
or **Properties** in the Case Management top bar. Access is controlled by team permissions, and
changes apply to every user.

**Type** at the top chooses which properties you are working on:

| Type | Where its properties appear |
|---|---|
| **General Details** | In the **General Details** step when a case is added, whatever its type, and on every case record |
| A case type | In the **Stakeholders & Specifics** step for cases of that type, and on the records of cases of that type |

The list shows each property's position, an icon for its property type, and its name. When the
chosen type has none, the list says **No Properties Found**.

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Add Property** | Opens the property form for the chosen type |
| Click a property | Opens the property, to edit it |
| Drag a property | Moves it up or down. The order is the order properties appear in on cases |
| Bin icon (**Delete Property**) | Deletes the property, after you confirm |

The property form and the property types work as they do for contacts, except that case
properties have no property groups. See [Custom properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/custom-properties#adding-a-property).

A property set to **Required** must be filled in before you can move on to the next step when
adding a case.

## Related

- [Cases](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/cases/cases)
- [Custom properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/custom-properties)