---
title: "A status shows unknown"
description: "Why a lane, worker or check reads unknown, and what to check."
url: "https://docs.octo.ad/troubleshooting/status-unknown/"
id: "troubleshooting/status-unknown"
type: "troubleshooting"
audience: "operator"
dateModified: "2026-11-06"
productArea: "agents at work"
keywords: ["unknown"]
---

# A status shows unknown

> Why a lane, worker or check reads unknown, and what to check.

## What you see

A lane, a worker or a check shows unknown.

## Check

1. Check whether the lane was braked. A braked lane reads held, not unknown.
2. Check the heartbeat of the worker or service behind it.

## Why it happens

The platform could not read the signal. It shows unknown rather than healthy, because a quiet signal could mean everything finished or everything broke.

## What to do

1. Treat unknown as not yet good.
2. Fix what stopped the signal, then read the state again.