> For agents: connect to the AoTwin MCP server at https://app.aotwin.io/mcp to read and change tickets and projects. Setup guide: https://aotwin.io/docs/mcp.md. Index of all docs: https://aotwin.io/llms.txt.
# Statuses
What each status means, what moves a ticket from one to the next, and who can cancel.
## Overview
A status says where a ticket stands. Which statuses you see depends on who holds the ticket.
- A ticket held by a person, or by nobody, has a status that people set: **Backlog**, **Todo**, **In progress**, **In review**, **Done** or **Canceled**.
- A ticket assigned to AoTwin shows AoTwin's own steps, like **Working** or **Waiting for review**. AoTwin moves these, not you.
On the [board](https://aotwin.io/docs/board-and-list) both kinds sit in the same six columns, so a mixed team sees one picture.
## Tickets held by people
Set the status from the **Status** menu on the ticket page. The change saves at once. You can also drag the ticket on the board.
| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Backlog** | Nobody is on it yet. A ticket filed with no assignee starts here. |
| **Todo** | Waiting for whoever it is assigned to. A ticket filed with an assignee starts here. |
| **In progress** | The assignee is working on it. |
| **In review** | Waiting for a review by the team. |
| **Done** | Marked done by a person. |
| **Canceled** | Closed. The ticket leaves every list. |
Anyone in the workspace can change these statuses. Choosing **Canceled** is the exception: only the person who asked, or an admin, can cancel a ticket. It works exactly like **Close request**. See [Tickets](https://aotwin.io/docs/tickets).
Assigning a ticket to a teammate does not change its status. Move it yourself when the work starts.
## Tickets held by AoTwin
When you assign a ticket to AoTwin, the status menu is replaced by a plain label, because AoTwin sets the status while it holds the ticket. These are the steps.
| Status | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| **Sent** | AoTwin has the ticket and starts shortly. |
| **Working** | AoTwin is making the change and running your team's checks. Most changes take a few minutes. |
| **Working · taking longer than usual** | Half an hour passed without an update. AoTwin keeps going, and hands the ticket back if it gets stuck. |
| **Waiting on you** | AoTwin asked a question on the ticket. The ticket shows the question. |
| **Handed back** | AoTwin gave the ticket to a person, with the reason, instead of guessing. |
| **Stuck** | The team's checks kept failing after a second try, so a person takes over. |
| **Waiting for review** | The change is ready and passed the checks. An engineer reviews it before it goes live. |
| **Done** | An engineer approved the change and merged it on GitHub. |
| **Closed** | Someone closed the ticket, so AoTwin stopped. |
AoTwin can't approve or release anything. Only your engineers do.
### When a ticket waits to start
A ticket in **Sent** can say why it hasn't started. The ticket page tells you what to do, and AoTwin starts by itself once the cause clears.
- **Saved · AoTwin starts once GitHub is connected**: the project has no code yet. An admin connects GitHub in **Settings > Connections**.
- **Waiting for capacity**: AoTwin is busy and starts when it is free.
- **Out of credits** or **Monthly limit reached**: the workspace has no credits to spend. See [Credits](https://aotwin.io/docs/credits).
- **Couldn't reach Linear · retrying**: the ticket is on its way to Linear. Nothing to do.
- **AoTwin isn't on the Free plan**, or a note that a plan is needed: an admin picks a paid plan in **Settings > Plan**.
### Answering a question
When the status is **Waiting on you**, write your answer in the comment box on the ticket. AoTwin picks the work back up as soon as someone answers. See [Comments](https://aotwin.io/docs/comments). The question also lands in the [Inbox](https://aotwin.io/docs/inbox) of the person it is for, and in their email.
### What moves a ticket
| From | To | What does it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Any open ticket | **Sent** | Assigning it to AoTwin, or choosing **Assign to AoTwin** on a ticket nobody holds. |
| **Sent** | **Working** | AoTwin picks it up. |
| **Working** | **Waiting on you** | AoTwin has a question. |
| **Waiting on you** | **Working** | Someone answers in a comment. |
| **Working** | **Waiting for review** | The change is ready and passed the checks. |
| **Working** | **Handed back** or **Stuck** | AoTwin needs a person to decide, or the checks keep failing. |
| **Waiting for review** | **Done** | The pull request is merged on GitHub. |
| **Waiting for review** | **Handed back** | The pull request is closed without merging. |
| Any open ticket | **Done** or **Closed** | In a workspace connected to Linear, someone marks the issue done or canceled in Linear. AoTwin stops, and the ticket follows. |
### Taking a ticket back from AoTwin
To take over, change **Assigned to** to a teammate or to **Unassigned**. AoTwin stops working, and the ticket shows a status people can set again, matching where it was: **Working** becomes **In progress**, **Waiting for review** becomes **In review**, and **Sent** becomes **Todo**. From then on you set the status yourself.
## Who can cancel
Only the person who asked, or an admin, can cancel or close a ticket, whether a person or AoTwin holds it. A canceled ticket shows who closed it. Anyone can reopen it with **Reopen**.
## FAQ
Why can't I change the status of this ticket?
AoTwin holds it. The app says "AoTwin moves this one. Assign it to a person first to set the status yourself." Change **Assigned to** and the menu comes back. The only thing you can do while AoTwin holds a ticket is close it, if you asked for it or you are an admin.
What is the difference between Done and Closed?
**Done** means the work is finished. For AoTwin, that is a change an engineer merged. **Closed** and **Canceled** mean the work was stopped and is no longer needed.
Can AoTwin mark its own work Done?
No. A ticket AoTwin holds moves to **Done** when its pull request is merged on GitHub, or when someone marks the linked issue done in Linear.