Show the state in the chat title
People run several pieces of work at once, each in its own chat, and look at the chat list to see which one needs them. A title that says what's true right now ("⏳ Rendering final · Launch video") saves them opening every chat to find out.
Only where your tool can rename the conversation you're in (the Claude desktop app can). Elsewhere, skip this skill.
The title
<emoji> <state> · <piece>, under 50 characters. The emoji and state come first because the chat list cuts long titles from the end. <piece> is the short name of what's being made: "Launch video", "Product walkthrough", "Newsletter".
| Emoji | State | When |
|---|---|---|
| 📝 | Scripting | Writing the brief, plan or script |
| 🛠️ | Building | Doing the work: drafting, capturing, editing, checking the result |
| ⏳ | Rendering preview / Rendering final | A render, build, encode or export is running |
| ⬆️ | Uploading | Sending the file wherever it's delivered |
| 👀 | Review preview / Review final / Needs you | Waiting on the person: a draft to look at, a question, an approval |
| ✅ | Done | Delivered, or whatever the job's last step is |
| ❌ | Render failed / Upload failed | Something broke and needs a look |
Use the job's own words in the state when they're clearer ("👀 Waiting for recording", "⏳ Rendering 4K60"), but keep the emoji from the table so the meaning reads at a glance.
When to rename
- At every change of state, in the same step as the action: rename to ⏳ as you start a render, not after it.
- When a background job wakes you, rename first, before checking its output: ⏳ becomes 🛠️ while you check, then 👀 or ✅. If it failed, ❌ until it's fixed.
- Before you end your turn, make sure the title says what's true while you're gone: ⏳ if something is still running, 👀 if it's waiting on the person, ✅ if nothing is left.
- One piece per title. If the chat moves on to a new piece, the title moves with it.
Don't
- Don't put progress numbers or times in the title (40%, 17:30). Nothing updates them while you wait, so they go stale.
- Don't rename other chats unless asked.
- If the person named the chat themselves, the app may ask them to approve each rename. Ask once whether they want status titles in this chat; if they don't, leave it.
Why the state goes first
Without it, you can't tell whether something is done until you click into the chat. Putting the state at the front of the title means the chat list answers that at a glance.