How to Fix Messy Case Statuses
Ever felt like you have too many case statuses, or the ones you have are confusing? Sub-statuses can help you tidy things up and get more clarity on what's happening with each case.
In this guide, you'll learn how to set up, edit, deactivate, and tidy up sub-statuses, with tips on permissions, best practices to make your team's workflow smoother, and your reporting sharper.
What Are Case Sub-Statuses For?
Sub-statuses are like extra details you can add to a main status. For example, under In Progress, you can add a sub-status to show a case is Waiting on Manager Approval or Parts Ordered. This helps everyone on your team understand exactly where a case is, without creating a whole new status.
🤔 Why it matters: More precise statuses = better visibility, faster resolutions, and clearer communication across teams.
Where To Find And Manage Case Sub-Statuses?
You can manage all your sub-statuses in one place:
Settings ➡️ Status Area ➡️ Case Status
From there, you can add, edit or rename, disable or deactivate and delete sub-statuses.
▶️ How to add a sub-status?
Add a new one: Click the plus 
icon next to any main status, give it a name, and click the 
tick to save.
▶️ How to edit or rename a sub-status?
Edit or rename it: Click the pencil 
icon. Any cases already using this sub-status will update automatically.
▶️ How to deactivate or disable (make inactive) a sub-status?
Deactivate it: Just uncheck the
Active box. This is a great way to phase out an old or duplicated status without disrupting any current cases.
▶️ How to delete a sub-status?
Delete it: Click the 
icon. You can only delete a sub-status if no cases are currently using it.
✅ Tip: Keep sub-status names short but descriptive; this makes reports easier to read.
💡 Note: Disabling a sub-status does not affect existing cases that are already using it.
What Happens When I Deactivate a Sub-Status?
Unticking the Active box means:
It won’t appear in the drop-down list for users anymore
Existing cases keep the sub-status
It can’t be reassigned to new cases
✅ Tip: Use this to gently phase out old or duplicated sub-statuses without breaking anything.
Can I Create Sub-Statuses from Inside a Case?
Yes, but only if you’ve got the right permission.
Case Window ➡️ Sub Status ➡️ New Status ➡️ Create Sub Status ➡️ Save
⚠️ Note: To create a sub-status from within a case view, admins must enable this permission for the user.
General Access ➡️ Allow Case Sub-Status Creation
How to Tidy Up Duplicate Sub-Statuses?
Over time, it’s easy for sub-statuses to multiply, especially with overlapping or duplicate names. Here's how to clean up.
Step 1️⃣: Find Cases Using the Sub-Status
We can’t delete sub-statuses that are in use, so let’s locate affected cases.
Create a new Work Stack
Choose Entity: Case
Filter the Status column using text filters (e.g. “In Progress - gathering more info”)
Filter in the Grid View of an existing Case Workstack
Set View Mode to All Records for visibility across users
Review Matching Records in an existing Workstack
The Status column contains both the top-level and sub-status names, so this filter helps narrow it down.
✅ Tip: Filtering by the top-level status (e.g. “In Progress”) helps narrow things down fast.
Step 2️⃣: Update the Cases
Go into each listed case and assign a new, preferred sub-status.
❗Caution: Bulk updates aren’t available yet; each case must be changed manually.
Step 3️⃣: Identify Sub-Statuses to Remove
Once you've updated all the cases, go back to Settings ➡️ Case Status.
Find the duplicate sub-status and make it inactive by unchecking the Active box. This stops anyone from accidentally using it again.
🔗 Not sure how? See How to deactivate or disable (make inactive) a sub-status?
✅ Tip: Deactivating first avoids disruption; deletion comes later
.
Step 4️⃣: Delete the Sub-Status
Now that the sub-status is no longer in use, you can safely click the X icon next to it.
👏 Everyone wins: users get a cleaner list, and reporting gets sharper!
How Do I View Inactive (Disabled) Sub-Statuses?
To review or re-enable a previously disabled sub-status:
Navigate to All Case Statuses
Scroll to the bottom of the page
Tick the ‘Show inactive’ checkbox
This will display all inactive sub-statuses alongside active ones.
What Are the Default Case Statuses?
▶️ Open Case Statuses:
New
Open
In Progress
Waiting on Customer
Waiting on Internal
Waiting on Supplier
▶️ Completed Case Statuses:
Completed
Duplicate
Incomplete
Won’t Fix
🤔 Why it matters: Cases marked as completed are considered closed in The Layer and are no longer tracked for SLA purposes.
Can I Pause SLA Time Using Sub-Statuses?
You can pause SLA tracking by marking a case status as Non-SLA. This can only be done on open case statuses, not sub-statuses directly.
✅ Tip: Use this for statuses like Waiting on Customer, it gives a fairer picture of response times.
🔗 Note: Want to dive deeper into how SLA tracking works in The Layer? Read our guide: Understanding SLA and Non-SLA Case Statuses for everything you need to know.
Final Thoughts: Keep It Logical, Keep It Flexible
Managing case sub-statuses isn’t just admin work; it’s about making your support process clearer, smarter, and easier for everyone involved.
Stay proactive by:
Reviewing your sub-statuses regularly
Deactivating ones that cause confusion
Only keeping what you really use
With just a little cleanup, your whole team benefits, better data, smoother workflows, and a system that works with you, not against you. 💪
Got feedback or suggestions? We're always listening.