6. Status & Custom Status

A skilled craftsman working on a skateboard design in a cluttered workshop.

6. Status & Custom Status

​

Every commission and project in freehand has a status, which lets you and your client instantly see where the work is in the workflow.
Statuses are displayed as clear, coloured badges wherever the commission or project appears, so it’s easy to keep track at a glance.

✅ 1. What Are Status Badges?

  • A status badge shows the current stage of a commission or project.
  • The badge is color-coded and has the status name clearly written on it.
  • Clients can see the status badge in their portal, so they always know what’s happening without needing to email you.

You’ll see status badges:

  • On the Dashboard tabs for Commissions & Projects
  • On the Commission & Project cards
  • On each Commission or Project record page
  • On the Client’s record page (alongside their commissions & projects)

✅ 2. Default Statuses

When you first create a commission or project, it is automatically set to “Enquiry”.

Freehand includes a few basic statuses by default, such as:

  • Enquiry
  • Scheduled
  • In Progress

And when a client accepts their quote in the portal, the status automatically changes to Scheduled.

✅ 3. Custom Statuses

You can also create your own custom statuses to match your exact workflow. For example, you might add:

  • Design Phase
  • Waiting for Feedback
  • Ready for Delivery

When creating a custom status, you can:

  • Choose a name that fits your workflow
  • Pick a badge color that makes sense to you

If you no longer need a custom status, you can delete it at any time.

✅ 4. Changing the Status

You can update a commission or project’s status at any time:

  • Go to the commission or project record
  • Select a new status from the list (default or custom)

The badge will immediately update everywhere it appears, and clients will see the new status in their portal.

✅ 5. Why Statuses Matter

Statuses give clarity for both you and your client:

  • You always know what stage each commission or project is at
  • Your client can log in and instantly see if their project is pending, scheduled, in progress, or completed—without having to ask
A skilled craftsman working on a skateboard design in a cluttered workshop.

7. The Message Centre

✅ 1. Where the Message Centre Appears ✅ 2. How It Works When enabled: ✅ 3. Why the Message Centre Can Be Useful This can be especially helpful for commissions or projects with a lot of back-and-forth communication or where you want the client to easily track the progress without emailing you repeatedly. ✅ 4. […]

A skilled craftsman working on a skateboard design in a cluttered workshop.

8. Adding & Managing Quotes

✅ 1. Adding a Quote Once you’ve created a commission or project, you can add a quote by: A quote typically includes: 💡 Quotes are hidden from clients by default, so you can prepare them early and make them visible at the right time. ✅ 2. Optional Deposit & Payment Link When creating a quote, […]

A skilled craftsman working on a skateboard design in a cluttered workshop.

9. Adding & Managing Invoices

✅ 1. How Invoices Are Created There are two ways invoices are created in freehand: ✅ 2. Viewing Invoices You’ll find all existing invoices (and quotes) in the Quotes & Invoices section at the bottom of the commission or project record page. From here, you can: ✅ 3. Editing an Invoice When you open an […]