How to Activate Project in Procore

Understanding Project Activation Fundamentals

Every project in Procore starts with a default status. When you create a new project, the system automatically sets it to "active," signaling to your team that work is in progress. This active status unlocks full access to all project tools and functionalities, including Requests for Information (RFIs), submittals, drawings, documents, and more.

Projects may need to be inactivated over time for various reasons – perhaps the work has been completed, temporarily paused, or needs archiving for historical reference. Managing a project's active or inactive status effectively helps control which projects appear in company-level reports and dashboards.

The ability to toggle between active and inactive states gives project managers powerful control over the project lifecycle. This seemingly simple function actually plays a crucial role in maintaining organized workflows and ensuring team members focus on current priorities rather than completed work.

Benefits of Proper Status Management

Managing your project status correctly creates numerous advantages for your entire construction team. When you maintain accurate project statuses, you establish a foundation for streamlined operations and improved collaboration.

Project activation status directly impacts visibility and accessibility throughout your organization. Active projects remain prominently displayed in dashboards and directories, making them immediately identifiable to team members as current work. This visual clarity eliminates confusion about which projects require attention.

Accurate reporting depends heavily on proper status management. Company-level reports and dashboards typically filter projects based on active/inactive status, ensuring that metrics reflect only current work. This filtering mechanism prevents completed projects from skewing performance data and provides executives with reliable insights for decision-making.

Communication flows more effectively when project statuses accurately reflect reality. Active projects signal to stakeholders that they should expect regular updates, new document uploads, and ongoing collaboration. Meanwhile, inactive projects indicate that major work has concluded, reducing unnecessary notifications and focusing attention where it matters most.

Project Status Types Explained

Understanding the different status options in Procore helps you manage projects more effectively throughout their lifecycle. The status you select determines how team members interact with project information and what appears in company reporting.

Active status indicates ongoing work where all project tools remain fully accessible. Team members can freely add items, update documents, create action plans, log daily activities, and perform any tasks permitted by their assigned roles. This status keeps the project visible in dashboards and reports, ensuring it receives appropriate attention from all stakeholders.

Inactive status typically applies to completed or paused projects. When switched to inactive, a project won't display by default in the company-level Portfolio tool or custom reports. However, team members with appropriate permissions can still access the project when necessary. This status helps declutter dashboards while preserving historical data for future reference.

The flexibility to change status as needed allows you to adapt to evolving project circumstances. For instance, you might temporarily inactivate a project during a construction freeze, then reactivate it when work resumes. This dynamic approach ensures your Procore environment accurately reflects real-world conditions at all times.

Step-by-Step Activation Process

Activating a project in Procore requires proper permissions and follows a straightforward process. Before beginning, ensure you have either 'Admin' level permissions or 'Read Only' with Update General Settings enabled. Without these permissions, you won't be able to modify project status.

First, log into your Procore account and locate the specific project you want to activate. You can find projects through the Portfolio tool or Projects directory, where each listing displays a status indicator showing whether it's currently active or inactive. Once you've identified your target project, click to open it.

After opening the project, look for the Project level Admin tool in the navigation sidebar. This central hub contains all project settings and configuration options. Click on the Admin tool to access these settings and prepare for status changes.

Within the Admin tool, navigate to the "General" tab or section. Here you'll find comprehensive project information including the project name, code, start and completion dates, and most importantly, the project's status toggle. This toggle controls whether the project appears as active or inactive throughout Procore.

Locate the Active/Inactive toggle switch in the project information settings. By default, newly created projects have this toggle set to "Active." If you're reactivating a previously inactive project, simply click the toggle to move it to the "Active" position. The change takes effect immediately, updating the project's status across all Procore tools.

After switching the status, find the "Update" button at the bottom of the settings page. Click this button to save your changes permanently. Procore will display a confirmation message indicating that your project settings have been successfully saved and the new status is now in effect.

Finally, verify that your changes were properly applied by returning to the Portfolio view or using search filters. The project should now appear with its updated active status. This verification step confirms that the status change has propagated correctly throughout the system and is visible to all users.

Project Management Best Practices

Effective project status management goes beyond simply toggling switches. Integrating status changes into your broader project management strategy ensures smooth operations and maintains data integrity throughout the project lifecycle.

Coordination between departments becomes essential when changing project statuses. Your accounting team may need project data even after construction concludes, so always consult with them before inactivating projects. If your company uses Procore's Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) integration, be aware that inactive projects might not appear in data extracts or custom reports, potentially affecting financial tracking and reporting.

Clear communication prevents confusion during status transitions. When activating or inactivating a project, notify all stakeholders about the change and explain what it means for their access and responsibilities. This proactive approach eliminates uncertainty and ensures everyone understands how to interact with the project in its current state.

Maintaining an organized project directory requires regular status reviews. Consider implementing quarterly audits of your project portfolio to identify candidates for status changes. Projects that haven't seen activity in months might benefit from being switched to inactive, while previously paused projects might need reactivation as work resumes.

Directory and Permission Management

Project directories and user permissions work hand-in-hand with status management to control access and maintain data security. Even after inactivating a project, users with appropriate permissions can still make changes to project data. This capability presents both opportunities and challenges for project administrators.

Some organizations choose to remove non-administrative users from inactive project directories to prevent accidental modifications. This approach provides an additional layer of protection for historical data while still allowing authorized personnel to access information when needed. Consider implementing this practice for projects where preserving the exact final state is critical.

Project cloning offers an efficient way to leverage past work while keeping your active projects list organized. When starting a new project that resembles a previous one, clone the inactive project and reactivate it rather than building from scratch. This recycling process maintains a clean active projects list while saving significant setup time through template reuse.

Permission templates should evolve throughout the project lifecycle. During active construction, team members need broad access to facilitate collaboration. As projects transition to inactive status, consider applying more restrictive permission templates to limit who can make changes. Some companies apply "Read Only" permissions to most users after project completion while maintaining edit capabilities for administrators.

Quality Assurance Through Procore Tools

Procore offers built-in tools that enhance quality control throughout the project lifecycle. When activating a project, take advantage of these features to establish robust quality assurance processes from day one.

Action Plans provide structured frameworks for quality control checkpoints. Set up phased reviews of critical deliverables like drawings, specifications, submittals, and RFIs to ensure consistent quality standards. These plans create accountability by assigning specific responsibilities and deadlines to team members, preventing quality issues from slipping through the cracks.

The Correspondence tool centralizes all project communications in one accessible location. Use this feature to distribute status updates and document quality requirements when activating projects. Having all communications in a single system creates a clear record of quality expectations and helps resolve any disputes that might arise during construction.

Quality documentation becomes increasingly valuable as projects progress. Encourage team members to thoroughly document inspections, tests, and quality observations within Procore. This documentation builds a comprehensive quality history that remains accessible even after project completion, providing valuable reference material for future work and potential warranty claims.

Data Management Strategies

Effective data management ensures that project information remains accessible and useful throughout the project lifecycle and beyond. Understanding how project status affects reporting and data visibility helps you maintain comprehensive records while keeping current work front and center.

Company-level reports typically include only active projects by default. Before inactivating a project, consider saving important reports at the project level to preserve historical performance data. These saved reports provide valuable benchmarks for future projects and help document lessons learned during construction.

Data backup becomes especially important when changing project status. Some organizations create designated "Test" projects (which don't count against project caps) to maintain permanent access to historical information. This approach preserves critical data indefinitely without cluttering active project dashboards.

Document retention policies should guide your approach to project inactivation. Most construction projects require maintaining records for several years after completion to address warranty issues and potential claims. Procore's inactive projects still retain all historical data, making it an ideal repository for these long-term documentation requirements.

Training and Permission Optimization

User training and permission management significantly impact how effectively your team utilizes Procore's project status features. Investing in these areas creates a foundation for successful project management throughout the construction lifecycle.

Role-based certifications ensure that team members understand how their actions affect project data. New users should receive training on Procore's interface and administrative tools before gaining access to active projects. This preparation helps prevent accidental status changes and ensures consistent data management practices across your organization.

Permission templates streamline user management across multiple projects. Create standardized templates for different project phases and user roles, then apply them consistently. This approach reduces administrative overhead while maintaining appropriate access controls throughout the project lifecycle.

Regular permission audits identify potential security gaps before they cause problems. Schedule quarterly reviews of user permissions across all projects, with special attention to inactive projects that might contain sensitive information. These audits help prevent unauthorized access and maintain data integrity even for completed work.

Common Troubleshooting Solutions

Even with a straightforward process, activating projects sometimes presents challenges. Understanding common issues and their solutions helps you quickly resolve problems and maintain workflow momentum.

Permission limitations often prevent users from changing project status. If you can't see the status toggle or make changes, verify that you have 'Admin' permissions or 'Read Only' with "Update General Settings" enabled. Without these specific permissions, you won't be able to modify project status regardless of your other access rights.

Project cap restrictions can block attempts to activate additional projects. Many Procore accounts limit the number of simultaneously active projects based on subscription level. If you've reached this limit, you'll need to inactivate an existing project before activating another one. Contact your account manager if you consistently bump against this ceiling.

Browser compatibility occasionally causes interface problems when managing project settings. Procore recommends using the latest version of Google Chrome for optimal performance. If you encounter strange behavior or missing options when trying to change project status, try switching browsers or updating your current one before contacting support.

Cached data sometimes prevents status changes from appearing immediately. If you've changed a project's status but don't see the update reflected in your dashboard, try refreshing your browser or clearing your cache. This simple step often resolves display inconsistencies without requiring technical support.

Project Lifecycle Integration

Project activation represents just one component of the broader project lifecycle. Understanding how status changes fit into different construction phases helps you manage transitions more effectively and maintain continuity throughout the project.

During preconstruction and design, project status often reflects readiness for construction. Some organizations configure Procore to automatically transition from bidding or design stages to active construction once certain milestones are reached. This automation ensures that status changes align perfectly with actual project progress, eliminating manual updates and potential discrepancies.

Active construction phases benefit from the full functionality that active status provides. Team members can freely create and update documents, drawings, submittals, and RFIs while tracking progress through daily logs and quality inspections. The active status facilitates this collaborative environment by ensuring all tools remain accessible to authorized users.

Project closeout typically coincides with transitioning to inactive status. However, administrators and project managers often retain access for final documentation review and report generation. Some companies remove non-essential team members from inactive projects to prevent accidental changes while preserving the ability to reference historical information when needed.

Real-World Application Scenarios

Understanding how project activation works in practice helps clarify its importance in daily construction management. These real-world scenarios demonstrate how proper status management supports successful project execution.

When kicking off a new residential building project, the active status enables immediate collaboration. The project manager verifies the default active status in Procore, then invites team members to upload initial documents and drawings. As construction progresses, the team uses integrated tools to track progress and quickly create RFIs when issues arise. The active status ensures all these critical communication and data management functions operate seamlessly.

Projects sometimes face unexpected delays requiring temporary pauses. When this happens, switching to inactive status prevents unnecessary notifications and removes the project from active dashboards. Once conditions improve and work resumes, the project manager easily reactivates the project using the toggle in general settings. This flexibility allows teams to adapt to changing circumstances without losing valuable historical data.

After project completion, archiving becomes essential for maintaining organized records. Setting the status to inactive effectively archives the project while keeping it accessible to company administrators. This approach protects completed work from accidental changes while maintaining a clear view of ongoing construction. Administrators can also clone successful projects when similar work arises, saving significant setup time.

Post-closure permission management addresses concerns about data integrity after project completion. Some organizations remove non-administrative users or apply restrictive permission templates to inactive projects. Although this requires additional effort, it prevents unwanted modifications and preserves the project's final state for future reference.

Integration Considerations for Projects

Procore's ecosystem includes numerous integrations that enhance project management capabilities. Understanding how project status affects these integrations helps you maintain data consistency across all your construction management systems.

ERP integration synchronizes financial data between Procore and accounting systems. Inactive projects might not appear in these data feeds, potentially creating discrepancies between systems. Before changing a project's status, coordinate with your accounting team to ensure all necessary financial information has been exported or documented in both systems.

The following integrations may be affected by project status changes:

• Financial systems: May stop receiving updates from inactive projects
• Reporting tools: Typically filter based on active status
• Document management: May have different archiving rules for inactive projects
• Scheduling applications: Often prioritize active projects in resource allocation

Third-party collaboration applications like BuildR, Matterport, or OpenSpace enhance design and closeout phases. Properly managing project status ensures these applications receive accurate data and that teams don't waste time working with outdated information. Before inactivating a project, verify that all necessary data has been captured from these integrated tools.

Custom reporting tools typically filter projects based on status. If you need to include inactive projects in reports, you may need to adjust report parameters or export data to third-party analysis tools. Understanding these limitations helps you develop reporting strategies that capture all relevant information regardless of project status.

Maximize Your Procore Project Success

Mastering project activation in Procore transforms your construction management approach. The seemingly simple toggle between active and inactive status creates ripple effects throughout your project management ecosystem, influencing everything from team collaboration to financial reporting.

Start by establishing clear guidelines for when projects should be activated or inactivated. Document these standards in your company's Procore usage policy and train all administrators on proper implementation. Consistent application of status changes creates predictability that helps team members understand what to expect when working on different projects.

Regular audits of your project portfolio keep everything organized and current. Schedule quarterly reviews to identify projects that should change status based on actual progress. This proactive approach prevents your active projects list from becoming cluttered with completed work while ensuring that current projects receive appropriate attention.

Remember that project status management extends beyond Procore itself. Coordinate with accounting, design, and field teams to ensure everyone understands how status changes affect their workflows. This cross-functional alignment prevents data silos and ensures that all departments work from the same information regardless of project status.

Elevate Your Construction Management Today

Implementing effective project activation strategies in Procore creates immediate benefits for your entire construction team. The clarity and organization that come from properly managed project statuses streamline workflows and improve collaboration throughout the construction lifecycle.

Active projects receive the attention they deserve while completed work remains accessible but doesn't clutter daily views. This balanced approach keeps teams focused on current priorities while maintaining valuable historical data for reference and learning. The simple act of toggling between active and inactive statuses creates this powerful organizational framework.

Take time to explore Procore's training resources and certifications for different roles within your organization. Investing in team education builds confidence and ensures consistent implementation of best practices. When everyone understands how to navigate Procore's features, including project activation, your entire operation becomes more efficient and effective.

Ready to transform your project management approach? Start by reviewing your current project statuses today. Identify opportunities to inactivate completed work and ensure active projects truly reflect ongoing operations. This simple audit creates immediate clarity and sets the foundation for more organized construction management going forward.