Maintainx core workflow a

MaintainX Core Workflow A: Work Order Lifecycle

Overview

Master the complete work order lifecycle in MaintainX -- from creation through completion. Work orders are the core unit of maintenance operations.

Prerequisites

• Completed maintainx-install-auth setup
• MAINTAINX_API_KEY environment variable configured
• MaintainX account with work order permissions

Status Transition Flow

OPEN ──→ IN_PROGRESS ──→ COMPLETED ──→ CLOSED
  │           │               ↑
  │           ↓               │
  │        ON_HOLD ───────────┘
  │
  └──→ CLOSED (cancelled)

Instructions

Step 1: Create a Work Order

import { MaintainXClient } from './maintainx/client';

const client = new MaintainXClient();

// Create a corrective work order
const { data: wo } = await client.createWorkOrder({
  title: 'Pump Station #3 - Seal Leak Repair',
  description: 'Detected water leak at the mechanical seal. Needs immediate attention.',
  priority: 'HIGH',
  status: 'OPEN',
  assignees: [{ type: 'USER', id: 4521 }],
  assetId: 8901,
  locationId: 2345,
  dueDate: '2026-03-21T17:00:00Z',
  categories: ['CORRECTIVE'],
});

console.log(`Work order #${wo.id} created`);

Step 2: Update Status Through Lifecycle

// Technician starts work
await client.updateWorkOrder(wo.id, {
  status: 'IN_PROGRESS',
});

// Put on hold (waiting for parts)
await client.updateWorkOrder(wo.id, {
  status: 'ON_HOLD',
  onHoldReason: 'Waiting for replacement seal kit from supplier',
});

// Resume and complete
await client.updateWorkOrder(wo.id, {
  status: 'IN_PROGRESS',
});

await client.updateWorkOrder(wo.id, {
  status: 'COMPLETED',
  completionNotes: 'Replaced mechanical seal. Tested for 30 min with no leaks.',
});

Step 3: Query Work Orders

// Fetch open work orders sorted by priority
const { data: openOrders } = await client.getWorkOrders({
  status: 'OPEN',
  limit: 25,
});

for (const order of openOrders.workOrders) {
  console.log(`#${order.id} [${order.priority}] ${order.title}`);
}

// Paginate through all IN_PROGRESS orders
async function getAllInProgress() {
  const allOrders = [];
  let cursor: string | undefined;

  do {
    const { data } = await client.getWorkOrders({
      status: 'IN_PROGRESS',
      limit: 100,
      cursor,
    });
    allOrders.push(...data.workOrders);
    cursor = data.cursor;
  } while (cursor);

  return allOrders;
}

Step 4: Add Comments and Attachments

// Add a technician note
await client.request('POST', `/workorders/${wo.id}/comments`, {
  body: 'Arrived on site. Isolating pump before disassembly.',
});

// Add a completion photo (URL-based)
await client.request('POST', `/workorders/${wo.id}/files`, {
  url: 'https://storage.example.com/photos/seal-repair-complete.jpg',
  name: 'seal-repair-complete.jpg',
});

Step 5: Assign to Teams

// Assign to a team instead of individual
const { data: teams } = await client.request('GET', '/teams');
const mechTeam = teams.teams.find((t: any) => t.name === 'Mechanical');

await client.updateWorkOrder(wo.id, {
  assignees: [{ type: 'TEAM', id: mechTeam.id }],
});

Output

• Work orders created with full metadata (title, description, priority, assignees, asset, location)
• Status transitions executed through the complete lifecycle
• Paginated query results for filtering work orders
• Comments and files attached to work orders

Error Handling

Error	Cause	Solution
400 Bad Request	Missing title field	Include at least title in POST body
404 Not Found	Invalid asset/location/user ID	Verify referenced IDs exist via GET endpoints
403 Forbidden	Insufficient permissions	Check user role has work order write access
422 Invalid transition	Invalid status change (e.g., CLOSED to OPEN)	Follow the status transition flow above

Resources

• MaintainX API Reference
• Work Orders Help
• Complete a Work Order

Next Steps

For asset and location management, see maintainx-core-workflow-b.

Examples

Bulk-create preventive maintenance work orders:

const pmSchedule = [
  { title: 'Weekly HVAC Filter Check', priority: 'LOW', categories: ['PREVENTIVE'] },
  { title: 'Monthly Fire Extinguisher Inspection', priority: 'MEDIUM', categories: ['PREVENTIVE'] },
  { title: 'Quarterly Elevator Safety Audit', priority: 'HIGH', categories: ['PREVENTIVE'] },
];

for (const pm of pmSchedule) {
  const { data } = await client.createWorkOrder(pm);
  console.log(`PM created: #${data.id} - ${data.title}`);
}

Filter work orders by date range:

curl -s "https://api.getmaintainx.com/v1/workorders?createdAtGte=2026-03-01T00:00:00Z&createdAtLte=2026-03-31T23:59:59Z&limit=50" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MAINTAINX_API_KEY" | jq '.workOrders | length'