Add the option to set a description to post statuses and expose this in the API for use by Gutenberg

[pbearne]

If you add a custom status, it doesn't display in the list that can be set in the editor. See ​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/3144

This patch makes states available for the editor and adds a description that is needed(used) in the editor

This patch is needed by this pull request ​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82045

[pbearne]

​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/3144

Needed by
​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/pull/82045

This update introduces a description field and show_in_admin_status_list flag to post statuses, allowing better contextual explanations and visibility control in admin interfaces. Adjustments were made to REST API endpoints, schema, and UI components to incorporate these new properties effectively, and tests were added to ensure accurate functionality.

Trac ticket: [](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/65963)
and ​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/3144
## Use of AI Tools

AI assistance: Yes
Tool(s): .junie
Model(s): Gemini 3.7 Flash
Used for: Initial code skeleton and test suggestions; final implementation and tests were reviewed and edited by me.

[jorbin]

Can you describe the problem this is trying to solve? The lack of description makes it feel like this is a solution in search of a problem.

[pbearne]

@jorbin

added desciption

[rednishat]

Hi, adding some context on the real-world problem this solves.

Plugin developers who add custom post statuses (editorial workflow tools, WooCommerce, approval pipelines, membership plugins) have no way to communicate what those statuses mean inside the editor. A site admin sets up "Awaiting Legal Review" or "Ready for Translation" and the editor shows it as a bare label. The person publishing the post has no idea what action is expected of them.

This gets worse in team environments where the person choosing a status is not the person who configured it. Right now the gap gets filled with documentation, Slack messages, and onboarding sessions that shouldn't be necessary.

The description field already exists for taxonomies and is exposed via the REST API there. Adding the same capability to post statuses is a consistency fix, not a new pattern.

The patch closes a real UX gap- plugin developers can ship statuses with meaningful descriptions that surface in the editor, giving non-technical users the context they need to make the right call.

[Horttcore]

This feature request is more then a decade old. And still very relevant. I would love to have a ui for custom post status, or even a way to extend it on my own.