What is Draft Status?
Draft status is a state that marks campaigns or communications as not yet ready for deployment. Items in draft status are hidden from the main calendar view by default, allowing you to prepare and refine content before making it visible to your team.
In the Communicate App, both campaigns and communications can be set to draft status. Draft items appear grayed out when the draft toggle is enabled, and they're excluded from normal calendar views until they're activated. This helps you work on content without it appearing in your active schedule.
Why Does Draft Status Matter for Church Communications?
Draft status matters because it provides a safe space for planning and preparation. Draft status helps:
- Plan ahead: Work on future campaigns and communications without them cluttering your active calendar
- Refine content: Make changes and adjustments before making items visible to your team
- Coordinate timing: Prepare content in advance and activate it when ready
- Reduce confusion: Keep incomplete or unapproved content separate from active communications
Without draft status, all content appears in your calendar immediately, which can be overwhelming and confusing for team members who need to focus on active, ready-to-execute communications.
How Does Draft Status Work in Communicate?
In the Communicate App, draft status works differently for campaigns and communications:
Campaign Draft Status:
- Use the toggle at the top of the Campaign Page to set a campaign as "Draft" or "Active"
- Setting a campaign to draft mode also sets all associated communications to draft
- Draft campaigns are hidden from the Timeline view by default (can be shown with the draft toggle)
Communication Draft Status:
- Set individual communications to draft within their details modal
- Draft communications default to active status when created
- Draft communications appear gray in the Communications Schedule and are hidden from the Calendar unless you enable the drafts view
Viewing Drafts:
- Enable the "Drafts" toggle in Calendar or Timeline views to see draft items
- Draft items appear grayed out with a "Draft" label
- The draft toggle resets each time you navigate away and return
Activating Drafts:
- For campaigns: Switch the toggle to "Active" (you can choose to activate all communications or leave them as drafts)
- For communications: Open the details modal and switch the status from draft to active
When Should You Use Draft Status?
Use draft status for:
- Early planning: When you're creating campaigns or communications well in advance
- Content refinement: When content needs review or approval before going live
- Temporary holds: When you need to pause a campaign or communication temporarily
- Testing: When you want to prepare content without it appearing in active views
Draft status is especially useful for churches that plan far in advance, as it allows you to build out your communication calendar without cluttering your active schedule.
Related Terms
- Active Status - The opposite of draft status, marking items as ready and visible
- Campaign - Can be set to draft status
- Communication - Can be set to draft status
- Calendar - Where draft items are hidden by default
- Timeline - Where draft campaigns are hidden by default
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What happens when I set a campaign to draft?
A: Setting a campaign to draft mode also sets all associated communications to draft. This ensures that incomplete campaigns don't appear in your active schedule.
Q: Can I see draft items in the calendar?
A: Yes, enable the "Drafts" toggle in the Calendar view to see draft communications. They'll appear grayed out with a "Draft" label. The toggle resets when you navigate away.
Q: Do draft communications get sent or published?
A: No, draft communications are not sent or published. They remain in draft status until you activate them. This allows you to prepare content without it going live.
Q: Can I edit draft items?
A: Yes, you can edit draft campaigns and communications just like active ones. Draft status only affects visibility, not editability.
Q: What's the difference between draft and archived?
A: Draft status is for items that are being prepared or refined. Archived status is for items that are complete and no longer needed in active views. Drafts can be activated; archived items are typically kept for historical reference.
Q: Can I schedule communications in a draft campaign?
A: Yes, you can schedule communications in draft campaigns. They'll also be in draft status and won't appear in active calendar views until the campaign is activated.