Trackers

Trackers categorize issues by type — such as Bug, Feature, or Support request — and control which fields and workflows apply to each issue type.

A tracker defines a type of issue. Every issue belongs to exactly one tracker, and the tracker controls:

• Which fields are displayed on the issue form.
• Which custom fields are attached.
• The default status assigned when a new issue is created.
• Which status transitions are allowed (via the workflow).
• Whether the tracker appears in the roadmap.

Default trackers

Redmine ships with three default trackers: Bug, Feature, and Support. These can be renamed or replaced with trackers that match your team’s workflow.

Tracker fields

Field	Internal name	Description
Name	name	Display name. Unique, case-sensitive. Maximum 30 characters.
Default status	default_status_id	The IssueStatus automatically assigned when a new issue is created with this tracker. Required.
In roadmap	is_in_roadmap	When enabled, issues with a target version in this tracker appear in the project roadmap.
Description	description	Optional description. Maximum 255 characters.
Fields	core_fields / fields_bits	Controls which standard fields appear on the issue form for this tracker.
Custom fields	custom_field_ids	Which issue custom fields are attached to this tracker.
Projects	project_ids	Which projects include this tracker.

Standard (core) fields

Trackers can enable or disable the following standard issue fields. Fields marked as undisablable are always shown.

Always visible (cannot be disabled):

• project_id — Project
• tracker_id — Tracker
• subject — Subject
• is_private — Private

Optional fields (can be disabled per tracker):

Field	Internal name
Assignee	assigned_to_id
Category	category_id
Target version	fixed_version_id
Parent issue	parent_issue_id
Start date	start_date
Due date	due_date
Estimated hours	estimated_hours
% Done	done_ratio
Description	description
Priority	priority_id

Disabling a field hides it from the issue form for that tracker. The field’s value is not deleted; it is simply not shown or editable.

The enabled/disabled state of core fields is stored as a bitmask in the fields_bits database column. Each bit corresponds to a position in the CORE_FIELDS array defined in tracker.rb.

Creating a tracker

1. Open the Trackers list

   Go to Administration → Trackers and click New tracker.

2. Enter a name

   Choose a descriptive name such as “Bug”, “Feature”, “Task”, or “Support request”.

3. Set the default status

   Select the Default status that new issues get when they are created. This status must already exist under Administration → Issue statuses.

4. Configure fields

   Check or uncheck optional fields to control which ones appear on the issue form for this tracker.

5. Assign custom fields

   In the Custom fields section, select which issue custom fields apply to this tracker.

6. Assign to projects

   In the Projects section, select which projects include this tracker. Alternatively, manage tracker assignments from each project’s settings.

7. Save

   Click Create. The tracker is now available in the selected projects.

Assigning trackers to projects

Trackers are assigned to projects in two ways:

From the tracker

On the tracker’s edit page, go to the Projects section and select the projects that should use this tracker.

From the project

Go to the project’s Settings → Information tab and check the trackers the project should use.

Copying a tracker

You can base a new tracker on an existing one by clicking Copy next to a tracker in the list. The copy duplicates field settings, custom field assignments, and project assignments, but not the name or workflow rules.

To copy workflow rules from one tracker to another, use Administration → Workflows → Copy.

Deleting a tracker

A tracker cannot be deleted if any issues exist with that tracker. You must reassign or delete those issues first.

To delete a tracker:

1. Reassign all existing issues to a different tracker, or delete them.
2. Go to Administration → Trackers.
3. Click Delete next to the tracker.

Roadmap visibility

When In roadmap is enabled for a tracker, issues of that type appear in the project roadmap grouped by their target version. This is useful for feature trackers where you want stakeholders to see planned work, and is typically disabled for bug or support trackers.