Published at: 2026-10-15
Lifecycle Overview
| Status | Meaning | Serves users/AI |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Being edited | No |
| Publishing | System processing | No |
| Published | Official version | Yes |
| Publish Failed | New version failed | Old version continues |
| Unpublished | Taken offline | No |
Overview
The knowledge lifecycle describes how knowledge moves from creation to retirement. Understanding the lifecycle helps maintainers keep the knowledge base accurate, current and compliant.
Core concepts
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | A newly created knowledge item that is not yet visible to end users. |
| Published | Knowledge that is visible to its permission scope and can be searched and answered by AI. |
| Expired | Knowledge whose validity period has passed; it stops being returned to users automatically. |
| Retired | Knowledge that is taken offline but still retained for audit or future re-publishing. |
| Deleted | Knowledge that is permanently removed from the knowledge base. |
How the lifecycle works
- Knowledge starts as a draft. Publishing review (if enabled) must pass before it becomes visible.
- Published knowledge can be updated at any time; updates may require review depending on the space settings.
- An optional validity period can be set. When the period ends, the knowledge automatically becomes expired.
- Retiring takes knowledge offline without deleting it; deletion permanently removes the item and its references.
- AI search and answers only reference knowledge whose status is published; expired and retired items are excluded.
Related topics
- Publish Knowledge
- Update Knowledge
- Retire and Delete Knowledge