Directive Journal

Shared features · 1 MIN READ

Draft, active, archived and deleted records

Read a state label before deciding whether an action is safe.

Guide reviewed 14 September 2026 · Controls depend on your app version and access.

Before you begin

State names and permitted transitions differ between apps. Use the state shown by the actual record.

  1. 01Recognise drafts

    A draft is preparation. It may be local or workspace-saved depending on the feature, and it does not imply execution, approval, payment or stock movement.

  2. 02Read pending and confirmed states

    Pending means some part of the workflow remains unresolved. For supplier payments, only confirmed Paid entries reduce the confirmed balance.

  3. 03Distinguish archive from deletion

    Archiving usually organises completed or inactive work without implying permanent removal. Trash, restore and purge are separate actions where supplied, often with stronger permissions or limits.

  4. 04Check dependencies

    Related invoices, stock movements, allocations or payment records can prevent an action. Resolve the business relationship instead of changing identifiers to force a transition.

Check the result

The action you choose matches the record state and the business outcome you intend.

If something does not look right

After an uncertain change, reopen the record. Never assume an error message means nothing was saved, or that a retry will be harmless.

Look up an error