What is Draft Status?
Draft means a campaign or communication is not ready for the normal schedule. By default, drafts stay off the Calendar and draft campaigns stay off the Timeline until you turn on View → Drafts. Full contrast with ready work: Active Status.
Plan: Draft/Active on Essentials and Plus.
Roles: Changing status needs campaign or communication edit permission (Owners, Admins, Managers, Editors). Viewers can see drafts when visible but can’t change status. See User Permissions and Roles.
Why Does Draft Status Matter for Church Communications?
Draft lets you:
- Plan ahead without cluttering the default Calendar/Timeline
- Refine content before the team treats it as live
- Park incomplete work without deleting it
How Does Draft Status Work in Communicate?
Campaigns
- Header status control: Draft or Active (plus Archive separately).
- Setting Draft also sets unlocked associated communications to Draft (confirm prompt).
- Setting Active leaves communications in Draft so you activate them individually (confirm prompt)—there is no “activate all communications” choice.
- New campaigns typically start Active. Draft campaigns show a Draft pill / lighter title when View → Drafts is on (Timeline).
Communications
- Entry status: Draft, Active, or Done. New items default to Active.
- If the parent campaign is Draft, you generally can’t set the communication to Active until the campaign is Active.
- Calendar: drafts hidden until View → Drafts; appearance is lighter/dashed (not a separate “Draft” text chip on the pill).
Viewing drafts
- Calendar and Timeline: View → Drafts (off by default).
- View options reset when you leave and return.
- Communicate doesn’t auto-publish/send—Draft is an in-app readiness flag for planning.
When Should You Use Draft Status?
Use Draft for early planning, content still under review, or a temporary hold. Use Archive for finished campaigns you don’t need in active lists. Use Done for finished communications (not campaign Draft).
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happens when I set a campaign to Draft?
A: The campaign becomes Draft and unlocked communications on it are also set to Draft.
Q: Can I see drafts on the Calendar?
A: Yes—View → Drafts. They show with a quieter/dashed look. The View setting resets when you leave the Calendar.
Q: Do draft communications get sent?
A: Communicate is a planning tool—Draft doesn’t auto-send. It only controls readiness and default visibility in the app.
Q: Can I edit drafts?
A: Yes, if your role allows edit. Draft only affects default visibility, not whether you can edit.
Q: Draft vs Archived vs Done?
A: Draft = preparing. Archived = finished campaign (recover from list). Done = finished communication. There is no campaign “Complete” status.
Q: Can I schedule communications on a draft campaign?
A: Yes—they typically stay Draft and stay off the default Calendar until activated and/or Drafts is on.
Q: What if I activate a draft campaign?
A: Communications stay Draft for you to activate one by one.