Retention States
Retention states define how durable an artifact should be and how much trust or stability it should carry.
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.