State · Lifecycle phase map

Newsletter publication lifecycle

Five primary phases stay readable as one rail. Approval and retry leave the rail without becoming phases, while cancellation and exhausted delivery remain explicit terminal outcomes.

Newsletter publication lifecycle A lifecycle phase map with Draft, Editing, Scheduled, Sending, and Sent on the primary rail; Approval and Delivery Retry in a recovery band; and Cancelled and Failed terminal outcomes. WAIT / RECOVERYPRIMARY PHASESTERMINAL OUTCOMES NEW WRITE SUBMIT APPROVE START DELIVER ERROR RETRY CANCEL EXHAUSTED Draftcontent exists Editingowner revises Scheduledsend time set Sendingprovider active Sentdelivery complete WAITApprovaleditor decision RECOVERYDelivery Retryattempt 1 of 3 TERMINALCancelledstopped by owner TERMINALFailedretries exhausted

THE HEADLINE

Progress owns the primary rail

Draft through Sent answers the reader's first question: where is this newsletter now? Supporting behavior stays visible without breaking that scan.

Wait and recovery are not phases

  • Approval pauses Editing
  • Retry returns to Sending
  • Dashed paths mark detours

Every stop names its cause

  • Cancelled is owner initiated
  • Failed means retries exhausted
  • Text and dashes carry meaning
DIAGRAM DESIGN · STATE MACHINE9 STATES · 10 TRANSITIONS