> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cogna8-io.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cogna8-io.gitbook.io/docs/core-concepts/state-lifecycle.md).

# State Lifecycle

Every state item progresses through a series of statuses that determine how it participates in governance. The lifecycle ensures that information is only used for action decisions when it has been sufficiently confirmed and is free of conflicts.

## Lifecycle Phases

State items move through three broad phases:

**Formation** - Information has been identified and classified but not yet confirmed for governance use. Items in this phase are visible but do not satisfy action gate requirements.

**Active governance** - Information is confirmed and fully participating in the integrity system. Active items trigger conflict detection, satisfy gate requirements, and are subject to policy enforcement.

**Terminal** - Information is no longer governing. This can happen through replacement by newer information, explicit withdrawal, natural relevance decay, or manual archiving. Terminal items are preserved in the audit trail for traceability.

{% hint style="info" %}
State items are **immutable once created**. When a value changes, the previous item receives a terminal status and a new item is created. This ensures the complete history is always preserved.
{% endhint %}

## Governance Participation

| Phase             | Gate Participation | Conflict Detection | Audit Trail |
| ----------------- | ------------------ | ------------------ | ----------- |
| Formation         | Not yet eligible   | Visible            | Recorded    |
| Active Governance | Full participation | Active             | Recorded    |
| Terminal          | No participation   | No                 | Preserved   |

{% hint style="info" %}
See the [Status Lifecycle Reference](https://github.com/Cogna8/docs/blob/main/glossary/status-lifecycle-reference.md) for the full status model and transition rules.
{% endhint %}