What is Active Status?

Active means a campaign or communication is in play—not still a Draft, and not Archived (campaigns) or Done (communications). Active items show in full color in the Calendar and Timeline by default.

Available on Essentials and Plus. Changing status needs campaign or communication edit permission (Owners, Admins, Managers, Editors). Viewers can see Active items but not change status. See User Permissions and Roles.

Why Does Active Status Matter for Church Communications?

Active status marks what is ready for the schedule:

• Clarify readiness — Separate work in progress (Draft) from what’s live
• Team visibility — Active items show by default; drafts need View → Drafts
• Execution path — Communications move Active → Done when finished; campaigns leave Active via Archive

How Does Active Status Work in Communicate?

Campaigns

• Status control in the campaign header: Draft or Active (not a toggle). Use Archive for archived campaigns.
• New campaigns typically start as Active (status is not chosen on the create form).
• Switching Draft → Active: confirm copy explains that associated communications stay Draft so you can activate them individually.
• Switching Active → Draft: drafts the campaign and its unlocked communications.
• Active campaigns appear in full color on the Timeline (and with campaign-linked communications on the Calendar). Draft campaigns show a Draft pill / lighter title when View → Drafts is on.

Communications

• Status in the entry modal: Draft, Active, or Done (stored as complete). New communications default to Active.
• Active communications appear in full color on the Calendar. Done items are filterable with Calendar View → Completed (on by default).
• If the parent campaign is Draft, you generally cannot switch a communication to Active until the campaign is Active.

Visual contrast

• Active — Full campaign/channel color, no Draft pill
• Draft — Lighter / dashed treatment; Calendar Drafts off by default
• Done — Finished communication (distinct from Active)

When Should You Use Active Status?

Use Active when the campaign or communication should be part of the normal schedule your team works from. Keep work-in-progress as Draft. Mark finished communications Done; archive finished campaigns with Archive (there is no campaign “Complete” status).

Related Terms

• Draft Status — Not yet ready
• Campaign · Communication
• Calendar · Timeline
• Campaigns · Communications — full status behavior

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are new campaigns and communications active by default?
A: Yes. New campaigns are created as Active, and new communications default to Active. You can switch either to Draft when allowed.

Q: What happens when I activate a draft campaign?
A: Confirming Active leaves associated communications in Draft so you can activate them one by one. It does not bulk-activate every communication.

Q: Can I see the difference between active and draft items?
A: Yes. Active items use full color. Drafts use a lighter / dashed look and a Draft indicator when shown; turn on View → Drafts on the Calendar or Timeline to see them (off by default).

Q: Can active items be edited?
A: Yes, if your role allows edit. Active only means readiness for the schedule, not that the item is locked.

Q: What's the difference between Active, Done, and Archived?
A: Active = in the current schedule. Done = finished communication. Archived = campaign (and its communications when archived) moved out of active work—not the same as Done.

Q: Can I deactivate an active campaign or communication?
A: Yes—set them back to Draft when your role allows. That removes them from the default active views until you turn Drafts on or activate again.