> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zephyrintel.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zephyrintel.com/reference/lifecycle-states-drafts-active-archived.md).

# Lifecycle states: drafts, active, archived

Every asset has a lifecycle state, separate from its equipment status (Online, Offline, and so on). This page defines the three states and who can move an asset between them.

### States

| State        | What it means                                                                                                                                                       | Where you see it                                                                 |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**    | The asset exists but has not been promoted to active. Assets created through Bulk Import can land as drafts if your account does not have the `promote` permission. | The **Drafts** filter toggle in Empire View. A draft row shows a **Draft** pill. |
| **Active**   | The normal, everyday state. Active assets appear in Empire View, reports, and hunting signals by default.                                                           | Empire View's default view (no Drafts or Archived toggle on).                    |
| **Archived** | A soft delete. Archived assets are hidden from all views, reports, and hunting signals.                                                                             | The **Archived** filter toggle in Empire View. Archived rows appear dimmed.      |

### Transitions

| From     | To       | Action      | Where                                                                                    | Who can do it                                                                                             |
| -------- | -------- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Draft    | Active   | **Promote** | Empire View bulk action bar, after turning on the **Drafts** filter and selecting rows   | Requires the `promote` permission                                                                         |
| Active   | Archived | **Archive** | Asset Detail header menu (single asset)                                                  | Requires only that your account has Signal access and the asset belongs to an organization you can act on |
| Active   | Archived | **Archive** | Empire View bulk action bar (one or more assets)                                         | Requires the `delete` permission                                                                          |
| Archived | Active   | **Restore** | Empire View bulk action bar, after turning on the **Archived** filter and selecting rows | Requires the `promote` permission                                                                         |

### Notes

* Archiving a single asset from its own Asset Detail page and archiving assets in bulk from Empire View use different permission checks: the Asset Detail action does not require the `delete` permission, while the bulk action does.
* There is no restore control on the Asset Detail page. To bring an archived asset back, use the **Archived** filter and **Restore** in Empire View.
* Duplicating an asset always creates the copy as active, regardless of the source asset's lifecycle state.