Notation types
Musescore handle score items differently based on their types. Type of a single selected score item is displayed on the status bar.
Basics
Beginners can make better decision on choosing the correct type by skiming through the handbook, reading the Manuel de MuseScore 3, the Text types, and the Lignes chapters.
Different types serve distinct purposes. For example, a Text types cannot change a note's pitch. That is, if changing a note's pitch is the purpose, it is wrong to add a Staff Text (a subtype of Musescore Text) and manually enter a sharp or hash (#) symbol into it.
Different types anchor differently, which may have impact on program features such as playback or Musescore Part.
A score item's type cannot be changed after it is added onto a score.
Advanced
Advanced users may benefit from knowing that there are two distinct groups,
Functional text and symbols are created when the user performs actions such as Raccourcis clavier, clicking a toolbar button, or adding an item from the palette. They affect the score semantically in a way that is most useful or makes most sense (check out GitHub and Discord discussions). The Synthétiseur creates playback for them. Appropiate Mise en page et mise en forme are automatically applied. They are also replaced whenever appropiate, for example adding an accidental sharp # removes the existing flat b .
Non-functional ones are found under the Symbols category in the Palette principale. Most features of functional ones listed above are not applicable to them. They are not removed from the score unless the user deliberately do so.
There are non-functional versions of most functional items.
Some notation are non-functional by design because there is no consensus on musical interpretation yet. Also, the task of implementating every notations' function inside Musescore is impractical due to the fact that some digital resource are not created or maintained by Musescore dev team. This includes historical clefs in the Bravura font by Steinberg and the SMuFL codepoint - glyph definitions, etc.