Candidate statuses: what they mean and how to correct them
List of candidate statuses, the rules the agent uses to update them, how to correct a wrong status or "Not interested", and why a candidate stays "To contact".
Updated on Oct 12, 2026
Each candidate has a status that shows where they are in the selection. The AI agent updates the status on its own, but you can change it yourself at any time.
Where to find it: campaign → Candidates tab → Pipeline stage column. You also see it at the top of the candidate's chat.
The main statuses
- First contact: To contact, Contacted, In progress, Unresponsive, Expired, Not interested
- Evaluation: Assessed, Good fit, Fit expired, Waiting for interview, Not a fit, Not a fit - manual
- Interview: Interview Proposed, Interview booked, Interview rescheduled, Interview cancelled, No show, Interview completed, Interview - fit, Interview - not a fit
- Hiring: To be hired, Offer proposed, Offer declined, Hired
The exact list in the menu may vary depending on the active modules (for example the onboarding form statuses).
The candidate gets the Unresponsive status when they reply to neither the first message nor the follow-up: this happens 48 hours after the last message sent by the agent.
Steps to change the status
- Open the campaign, Candidates tab.
- In the candidate's row, open the menu in the Pipeline stage column. Or use the row menu → Change stage.
- Choose the new status from the Stage list.
You can also do it from the chat: click the candidate's status at the top and choose the new status.
Good to know: how the agent updates statuses
- In the chat you see who changed the status: "The agent updated the status" or the user's name.
- An Expired application came in too long ago compared to the limit set for your organization: the agent doesn't contact the candidate automatically. You can still force the evaluation to start or delete the application.
- You can set any status. Your choice takes priority.
- The agent moves the candidate forward when it makes sense. Example: from Good fit it can offer an interview.
- The agent doesn't go backward. Example: if the candidate is Assessed or Good fit, they don't go back to In progress.
- The agent doesn't change final statuses set manually. Example: with Not a fit - manual it will never offer an interview.
- When you manually set a candidate as not a fit, they get the manual rejection message configured on the Agent page.
- If you set No show, the agent doesn't go back to Interview Proposed.
- An inconsistent status can block the automatic flow. Only change the status when you need to.
Common issues
The candidate's status is wrong. Change it manually from the campaign table or from the chat. After the correction the agent picks up the conversation on its own, unless you chose a closing status (for example Not a fit - manual or Not interested): in that case the conversation stops.
The candidate said they're not interested but the status didn't change. The agent sets Not interested when it understands from the conversation that the candidate isn't interested. If the status doesn't match what they said, set it yourself.
I set "Not interested" by mistake. Move the candidate back to the previous status. The closing message isn't sent when you set the status manually.
Does the candidate who isn't interested get a message? Yes, the agent sends a closing message to candidates who aren't interested. Read How to customize interview outcome and closing messages.
Why does a candidate stay "To contact"? Their application is blocked by another application from the same candidate in another campaign: the agent evaluates one campaign at a time. Look them up in the Inbox and check whether they have an active conversation in another campaign. Read Candidates who don't come in or stay "To contact".
Related articles
- Other actions you can take from the candidate's chatCopy the phone number, step in with a template, view the CV, copy the chat link or text, and refresh it.
- How conversations work: threads, channels and multiple campaignsIn Klaaryo there's only one conversation per person, split into threads, even if the candidate is in several campaigns or changes channel.
- How to leave feedback on an agent conversationRate an agent conversation, positive or negative, or the individual generated messages, to point out what worked.
- How to step into a conversation manuallyTurn off the agent and write to the candidate yourself; if the chat has expired after 24 hours of inactivity, reopen it with a template.
- Manual or automatic interview invitation: what's the differenceWith Automatic invitations the agent invites the eligible candidate right away; with Manual, the interview manager first decides whether to invite them.
- How to search and filter conversations in the InboxSearch by name, filter by campaign, chat status and candidate status, and keep simulated chats separate.
- What the Inbox is and what you'll find in itThe Inbox collects your chats with candidates and interview managers from the campaigns you're part of, with status filters and simulated chats.
- How to read the candidate's evaluationThe Evaluation tab shows outcome, reasons, score, criteria and questions: it explains why the agent considered the candidate a fit or not.