Retention States
Retention states define how durable an artifact should be and how much trust or stability it should carry. Capture items may carry retention states before promotion into artifacts.
State table
| State | Definition | Use when... | Simple example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ephemeral | Useful now, not worth preserving. | the output helped in the moment but is unlikely to matter later | a rough clarification written only to get unstuck during a live exchange |
| Working | Still active in the current thread, page, or project, but not yet ready for promotion. | the output is still being shaped, tested, or revised | a draft memo still being edited inside the current lane |
| Durable | Worth preserving because it is likely reusable or costly to recreate. | the output is already useful beyond the current moment | a clear runbook that will likely be reused later |
| Canonical | Official reference version. | the output should now act as the trusted source of truth | the final definition page for the framework’s capture modes |
How to choose
Use the lightest state that still preserves the value of the artifact.
A simple decision rule:
- choose Ephemeral when the artifact solved a local need and future reuse is unlikely
- choose Working when the artifact is active but still evolving
- choose Durable when the artifact is already reusable or costly to recreate
- choose Canonical when the artifact should now be treated as the main reference version
Basic transition logic
Typical transitions are simple:
- Ephemeral -> discard when the value was purely local
- Working -> Durable when the artifact becomes clearly reusable
- Durable -> Canonical when the artifact is promoted into trusted reference status
- Working -> Ephemeral when a draft turns out not to be worth keeping
Not every artifact needs to move through every state.
Practical notes
- Do not treat all outputs as equally important.
- Promotion should be selective.
- Canonical should be rare compared with Durable.
- When uncertain, leave an artifact as Working rather than promoting too early.