openproject/help/getting-started/work-packages-introduction.md

---
title: Introduction to Work Packages
description: Learn the first steps about work packages
robots: index, follow
keywords: introduction work packages
---

# Introduction to Work Packages

In this document you will get a first introduction to work packages. You will find out how to create and update work packages in a project.

For further documentation, please visit our [user guide for work packages](./user-guide/#work-packages).

| Feature                                                      | Documentation for                                         |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| [What is a work package?](#what-is-a-work-package?)          | Find out what is a work package in OpenProject.           |
| [Create a new work package](#create-a-new-work-package)      | How to create a new work package in  a project?           |
| [Open and edit a work package](#open-and-edit-a-work-package) | How to open and make changes to an existing work package? |
| [Activity of work packages](#activity-of-work-packages)      | See all changes in a work package.                        |

## What is a work package?

A work package in OpenProject can basically be everything which you need to keep track off within your projects. It can be e.g. a tasks, a feature, a bug, a risk, a milestone or a project phase. This different kinds of work packages are called work package types.

## Create a new work package

To get started, create a new work package in your project, [open the project](#open-an-existing-project) with the project drop-down menu, navigate to the **module work packages** in the project menu.

Within the work packages module, click the green + Work package button to create a new work package. In the drop down menu, choose which type of work package you want to create, e.g. a task, a 

![create-work-package](create-work-package-1569611257373.png)

A split screen view is opened with the new work package form on the right and the list of already existing work packages on the left.

If there are not yet any work packages in the project, you will see a message that there are no work packages to be displayed in the list.

In the empty form on the right, you can enter all relevant information for this work package, e.g. the subject and a description, set an assignee, a due date or any other field. Also, you can add attachments with copy & paste or with drag and drop.

Click the green **Save** button to create the work package.

![split-screen-work-packages](split-screen-work-packages.png)

The work package will the be displayed in the list view:

![list-view-work-package](1569611758166.png)

## Open and edit a work package

To open and edit an existing work package from the list, select the work package in the list which you want to edit and click on the **open details view** icon in the work package list or on top of the list to open the split screen view.

![open-details-view-work-packages](open-details-view-work-packages.png)

By clicking through the list on the left hand side you will see the details of each work package on the right in the split screen.

Click in any of the fields to **update a work package**, e.g. description. Click the checkmark at the bottom of the input field to save changes.

![edit-work-package](1569612205009.png)

To **update the status**, click on the highlighted displayed status on top of the form and select the new status from the drop-down.

![update-status](1569612428626.png)

## Activity of work packages

To keep informed about all changes to a work package, open the **ACTIVITY** tab in the details view. 

Here you will see all changes which have been made to this work package.

You can also insert a comment at the end of the Activity list.

![activity-work-packages](activity-work-packages.png)

To find out more about the work package functionalities, please visit our detailed [user guide for work packages](./user-guide/#work-packages).