> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ekso.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # DataItem > Work item — a ticket, task, story, change request, or any unit of work. Work item — a ticket, task, story, change request, or any unit of work. The core primitive of Ekso. Items live inside a container, carry process-defined values in `field`, time history in `time`, and free-form metadata in `meta`. Every human attribute (name, description, status, priority, …) lives in `field` rather than as a top-level property. ## Sample JSON Copy, edit, paste. Server-set fields (`id`, `created`, `tenantId`, …) are omitted from the example — they're populated by the server on response. ```json theme={null} { "containerId": "container_01HCONTAINER_FEN", "processId": "process_01HPROCESS_DEFAULT", "boardId": "board_01HBOARD_FEN", "cycleId": "cycle_01HCYCLE_SPRINT_42", "resourceType": "User", "resourceId": "user_01HUSER_ASSIGNEE", "dateOpened": "2026-04-15T09:30:00Z", "field": [ { "id": "field_01HFIELD_NAME", "data": "Investigate intermittent timeout in login flow" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_DESCRIPTION", "data": "Customers report 500 errors after 30s of inactivity. Repro on Safari 17 + 3G throttling." }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_STATUS", "data": "fielddata_01HSTATUS_OPEN" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_PRIORITY", "data": "fielddata_01HPRIORITY_HIGH" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_SEVERITY", "data": "fielddata_01HSEVERITY_MAJOR" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_RESOLUTION", "data": "fielddata_01HRESOLUTION_UNRESOLVED" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_AREA", "data": "area_01HAREA_BACKEND" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_PERCENTCOMPLETE", "data": "25" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_WORKESTIMATE", "data": "4h 30m" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_OWNEDBY", "data": "user_01HUSER_ASSIGNEE" }, { "id": "field_01HFIELD_SKU", "data": "sku_01HSKU_DEV_HOURS" } ], "time": [ { "userId": "user_01HUSER_ASSIGNEE", "dated": "2026-04-29T14:30:00Z", "timeLogged": "2h 15m", "comment": "Initial triage and reproduction.", "timeTypeId": "timetype_01HTIMETYPE_BILLABLE", "status": "Pending" } ], "meta": [ { "key": "external_url", "value": "https://acme.example.com/tickets/T-1234" } ] } ``` ## What Ekso fills in These fields are managed by the server. You don't pass them on writes — they appear on the response. * **`sequence`** — Auto-incrementing per-container number — the `123` in `FEN-123`. Server assigns it when the item is created. * **`clockStart`** — Set by the clock subsystem when the item enters a clock-eligible state. * **`clockFinish`** — Set by the clock subsystem when the item exits a clock-eligible state. * **`clockDelta`** — Computed elapsed duration between `clockStart` and `clockFinish`. Server-maintained. * **`clockHours`** — Convenience integer-hour view of `clockDelta`. Server-maintained. * **`clockStatus`** — `Active` / `Paused` / `Breached` / `Stopped`. Updated by the clock subsystem as the item moves through workflow states. * **`dependencyKey`** — Hierarchy path for tree views. Maintained by the dependency engine when parent/child links change. * **`dependencyIndent`** — Indent depth in the dependency tree. Server-maintained. * **`dependencyChild`** — Child ordering within the dependency tree. Server-maintained. ## Fields | Field | Type | Required | Notes | | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `entity` | string • nullable | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `containerId` | string | **Required** | The container this item belongs to. Determines billing / cost-center inheritance. | | `processId` | string | **Required** | The process whose workflow + field schema applies to this item. | | `sequence` | integer | Server-set | Auto-incrementing per-container sequence — the `123` in `FEN-123`. Server-managed. | | `boardId` | string | Optional | Board the item appears on. Items can exist without a board until placed. | | `cycleId` | string | Optional | Cycle (sprint / iteration) the item is assigned to. | | `resourceType` | [`ResourceType`](/data-model/constants#resource-type) | Optional | Type of the assigned resource: `User` or `JobRole`. See [`ResourceType`](/data-model/constants#resource-type). | | `resourceId` | string | Optional | Id of the assigned resource. User id when `resourceType=User`; job-role id when `resourceType=JobRole`. | | `dateOpened` | string • nullable | Optional | Set on workflow transition into the open state. Pre-populate on create to backdate the open event. | | `dateWorking` | string • nullable | Optional | Set on transition into the working state. | | `dateClosed` | string • nullable | Optional | Set on transition into a terminal state. | | `time` | array\<[`ItemTime`](/data-model/item-time)> | Optional | Time entries logged against this item. See [`ItemTime`](/data-model/item-time). The `timeLogged` format is `Xh Ym` (e.g. `2h 15m`). | | `field` | array\<[`DataItemFieldValue`](/data-model/data-item-field-value)> | **Required** | Array of `DataItemFieldValue { id, data }`. Carries every human attribute — Name, Description, Status, Priority, Severity, Resolution, plus any custom fields the process declares. | | `meta` | `array<{ key: string, value: string }>` | Optional | Free-form key/value metadata for fields not modelled by the process. Lossless — useful on imports. | | `clockStart` | string (date-time) | Server-set | Server-set when the item enters a clock-eligible state. | | `clockFinish` | string (date-time) | Server-set | Server-set when the item exits a clock-eligible state. | | `clockDelta` | number | Server-set | Computed elapsed duration between `clockStart` and `clockFinish`. | | `clockHours` | integer | Server-set | Convenience integer-hour view of `clockDelta`. | | `clockStatus` | [`ClockStatusEnum`](/data-model/constants#clock-status-enum) | Server-set | Active / Paused / Breached / Stopped. See [`ClockStatusEnum`](/data-model/constants#clock-status-enum). | | `dependencyKey` | string | Server-set | Hierarchy path key for tree views. Server-managed. | | `dependencyIndent` | integer | Server-set | Indent depth in dependency tree. Server-managed. | | `dependencyChild` | integer | Server-set | Child ordering within the dependency tree. Server-managed. | | `tenantId` | string | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `id` | string | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `created` | string (date-time) | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `createdBy` | string | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `updated` | string (date-time) | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `updatedBy` | string | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | | `deleted` | boolean | Server-set | Set by the server. Read-only on writes. | ## Used by ### Request body * `POST /api/item` * `PUT /api/item/{id}` ### Response body * `GET /api/board/{boardId}/cycle/{cycleId}/item` * `GET /api/item/{id}/dependency` * `POST /api/item/copy` * `POST /api/item/find` * `POST /api/item/list` * `POST /api/item/resource` * `POST /api/item/{id}` * `POST /api/time/resource/{userId}` ### CLI `ekso item` — see the [command branches](/cli/branches) page for available verbs. Body for create / update verbs typically passed via `--data @file.json` matching the [sample JSON](#sample-json) above.