diff --git a/src/builder/build_traits.rs b/src/builder/build_traits.rs
index 3a122eb8b..950a85903 100644
--- a/src/builder/build_traits.rs
+++ b/src/builder/build_traits.rs
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ pub trait Dataflow: Container {
         op: impl Into<OpType>,
         input_wires: impl IntoIterator<Item = Wire>,
     ) -> Result<BuildHandle<DataflowOpID>, BuildError> {
-        self.add_dataflow_node(NodeType::new_default(op), input_wires)
+        self.add_dataflow_node(NodeType::new_auto(op), input_wires)
     }
 
     /// Add a dataflow [`NodeType`] to the sibling graph, wiring up the `input_wires` to the
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ fn add_op_with_wires<T: Dataflow + ?Sized>(
     optype: impl Into<OpType>,
     inputs: Vec<Wire>,
 ) -> Result<(Node, usize), BuildError> {
-    add_node_with_wires(data_builder, NodeType::new_default(optype), inputs)
+    add_node_with_wires(data_builder, NodeType::new_auto(optype), inputs)
 }
 
 fn add_node_with_wires<T: Dataflow + ?Sized>(
diff --git a/src/hugr.rs b/src/hugr.rs
index deccdada1..128eee522 100644
--- a/src/hugr.rs
+++ b/src/hugr.rs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ impl NodeType {
 
     /// Instantiate an [OpType] with the default set of input extensions
     /// for that OpType.
-    pub fn new_default(op: impl Into<OpType>) -> Self {
+    pub fn new_auto(op: impl Into<OpType>) -> Self {
         let op = op.into();
         if OpTag::ModuleOp.is_superset(op.tag()) {
             Self::new_pure(op)
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ impl Hugr {
 
     /// Add a node to the graph, with the default conversion from OpType to NodeType
     pub(crate) fn add_op(&mut self, op: impl Into<OpType>) -> Node {
-        self.add_node(NodeType::new_default(op))
+        self.add_node(NodeType::new_auto(op))
     }
 
     /// Add a node to the graph.
diff --git a/src/hugr/hugrmut.rs b/src/hugr/hugrmut.rs
index 7e066d1cb..3e1ef81dc 100644
--- a/src/hugr/hugrmut.rs
+++ b/src/hugr/hugrmut.rs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ pub trait HugrMut: HugrMutInternals {
         parent: Node,
         op: impl Into<OpType>,
     ) -> Result<Node, HugrError> {
-        self.add_node_with_parent(parent, NodeType::new_default(op))
+        self.add_node_with_parent(parent, NodeType::new_auto(op))
     }
 
     /// Add a node to the graph with a parent in the hierarchy.
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ impl<T: RootTagged<RootHandle = Node> + AsMut<Hugr>> HugrMut for T {
     }
 
     fn add_op_before(&mut self, sibling: Node, op: impl Into<OpType>) -> Result<Node, HugrError> {
-        self.add_node_before(sibling, NodeType::new_default(op))
+        self.add_node_before(sibling, NodeType::new_auto(op))
     }
 
     fn add_node_before(&mut self, sibling: Node, nodetype: NodeType) -> Result<Node, HugrError> {