# Change a conversation's status

Mark a conversation Open, Waiting or Done so the team can see at a glance where it stands.

Every conversation has a status that tells the team whose move it is. Changing it moves the conversation to the matching tab of the shared inbox, so the **Unassigned** and **Assigned** tabs only ever hold work that's still to do.

> **Before you start:**
>
> A conversation open in the reading pane. In your own mailbox, the status button only appears once the conversation is assigned to someone.

## Change it

- At the top right of the conversation, select the status button. It shows the current status, usually **Open**.

  ![The top of a conversation with the status button, which reads Open, selected. Its menu lists three choices, each with an icon: Open, ticked, then Waiting, then Done.](https://www.neuracrm.com/help/teamemail/shared-inboxes/status-menu.png)
- Select **Open**, **Waiting** or **Done**.

The button shows the new status straight away, and the tab counts at the top of the inbox change as the conversation moves.

## Which to choose

- **Open**: Your team has work to do on it. It sits on the Unassigned or Assigned tab, depending on whether someone owns it.
- **Waiting**: The next move is someone else's: the customer, a supplier, an engineer's report. It moves to the Waiting tab. If you follow the conversation, it also moves to Later in your My work. Unlike a snooze, Waiting has no end time.
- **Done**: Nothing more is needed. It moves to the Resolved tab, and a banner reads This conversation is resolved.

**Done** and **Resolved** mean the same thing. The status menu says **Done**; the inbox tab and the send menu say **Resolved**.

**You're done when** the button shows the status you chose and the conversation is on the matching tab.

## It changes back on its own when the customer writes

A new incoming email (anything not sent from this inbox's own address) brings a Waiting or Done conversation straight back to **Open**, and it lands on the Unassigned or Assigned tab again. You don't need to keep an eye on Waiting or Resolved for replies.

Assigning a conversation also reopens it, so a new owner always receives it as work to do.

## Set it as you reply

When you reply, the arrow beside **Send email** offers **Send as** **Open**, **Waiting** or **Resolved**. Selecting one sends your reply straight away and changes the status in one step. See [Reply or forward](/teamemail/help-docs/write-and-send/reply-or-forward).

## After Done: archive it if you like

A Done conversation shows an **Archive** button, and its banner offers **Archive in** *inbox name*. Archiving takes it off the Resolved tab as well. It's optional. See [Archive a conversation](/teamemail/help-docs/shared-inboxes/archive).