Labels: creation, automation, and best practices

As request volume grows, recognizing what is urgent, what kind of request has arrived, and who should act can take longer than the decision itself. A consistent visual classification helps the team interpret cards without opening each one.

By the end of this article, you will know how to define a label structure, decide when to apply labels manually or through automation, and keep the classification useful as the process evolves.
 

📖  What you will understand here:

Start with the decision the label should support

In Pipefy, labels are colored identifiers displayed at the top of cards. They can represent priority, request type, opportunity temperature, customer segment, responsible team, or another criterion that matters to the process.

Before creating a label, define which decision it should make easier. A High priority label, for example, can help the team reorder the queue. A Finance label can show where a request should go. Each label answers a different question.

This prevents one list from mixing priority, department, situation, and request type without a recognizable logic. When the dimension is clear, people classify cards more consistently and interpret the result with less effort.

• Learn more: The basics of card labels

Create a vocabulary the team recognizes

A simple structure usually works better than a long collection of options. To organize the vocabulary:

• Choose one dimension, such as priority, category, or responsible team.
• Use short and specific names, such as High, Medium, and Low.
• Avoid synonyms or variations that represent the same idea.
• Record what each option means so the criterion does not depend on individual interpretation.
• Use color to reinforce meaning without relying on color alone.

Pipefy lets you define a title and color for every label. The documentation recommends contrasting colors because they make labels easier to recognize on cards. The name remains essential, especially when people interpret colors differently.

Also consider whether the information is already represented by the phase or another field. If a card is in the Approval phase, a label with the same meaning may repeat what the team can already see. Reserve labels for classifications that add context and support a decision.

• Learn more: Create or edit a label

Choose between manual and automatic application

A label can be added directly to a card. You can also create a Labels field in the start form or a phase. The same card can receive more than one label when the process needs to represent different dimensions.

Manual application makes sense when classification depends on human judgment. During triage, for example, someone may assess the impact of a request before choosing its priority. In this case, the label reflects a contextual decision.

Automation makes more sense when the criterion is objective and already exists in the card data. In Pipefy, an event can start the rule, conditions can limit when it runs, and the Update a field action can select an existing label.

In a sales process, an opportunity can receive the Hot label when a field shows that it is ready to move forward. In recruitment, an application can receive the Senior label when the experience provided meets the criterion defined by the team.

• Learn more: How to add labels to cards automatically

Turn classification into a working tool

Applying labels is only the beginning. Their value grows when they help the team find cards, organize daily work, and observe patterns.

Pipe filters can use Label as a condition. You can combine it with phase, assignee, and other data, then use AND and OR relationships to refine the result. A team can find high priority cards in a particular phase or compare request categories.

Labels can also support segmented pipe reports. This turns the taxonomy into a source of analysis, as long as the options have stable meanings and are applied consistently.

• Learn more: How to filter and search cards
• Learn more: How to create pipe reports

Keep labels useful over time

Processes change. New request types appear, responsibilities move between teams, and some criteria stop helping. A periodic review prevents the list from accumulating similar or unused options.

Use these questions during the review:

• Does each label still support a decision?
• Are any options duplicated or too similar in meaning?
• Does the team understand the application criteria?
• Does a label repeat a phase or another field without adding context?
• Do filters, reports, or automations depend on a label that will change?

Before editing or deleting an option, identify where it is used. After the change, test related automations and confirm that filters and reports still represent the process correctly.

Put the structure into practice

You do not need to create every label at once. Start with one frequent decision and follow a short sequence:

• Define which question the classification should answer.
• Choose one dimension for the first set.
• Create objective names and contrasting colors.
• Decide whether application requires human judgment or can follow an objective rule.
• Test the structure with a small number of cards.
• Validate its use in filters and, when useful, reports.
• Agree on when the team will review the options.

With this foundation, labels become more than visual signals. They can consistently guide actions, filters, and analysis.

Before moving on, confirm that you understand:

• Which decision each label set should support
• When classification should be manual or automatic
• How to test labels in cards, filters, and reports