Understanding Flow Statuses

Every flow in Plotstuff — whether it is an approval, installation, or inspection flow — moves through a defined lifecycle of statuses. Understanding these statuses helps you manage your workflows effectively and know exactly where each flow stands in the process.

Flows progress from creation through active use and ultimately to completion or archival. Each status change is logged, creating a clear audit trail of the flow's history.

Draft — The flow has been created but is not yet shared or active. You can still modify its settings, add or remove participants, and adjust which assets are included. Draft flows are not visible to external participants.

Active — The flow has been shared and is currently in use. Participants can access the flow link and submit their responses (approvals, installation updates, or inspection results). You should not modify the flow's asset configuration while it is active.

Complete — All participants have submitted their responses, or the flow has been manually completed by an admin. The flow becomes read-only and serves as a permanent record of the review, installation, or inspection results.

Archived — Completed flows can be archived to declutter the Project Flows panel. Archived flows are still accessible but are hidden from the default view. You can unarchive a flow at any time.

Most status transitions happen automatically. A flow moves to Active when you share its link, and to Complete when all responses are received. However, admins can also manually advance a flow — for example, marking it as Complete even if not all participants have responded.

Archiving is always a manual action. It is a good practice to archive completed flows once you have reviewed their results and incorporated any feedback into the project. This keeps your Project Flows panel focused on current, active work.