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# Publication Lifecycle

> How Digital Product Passports move through lifecycle states in tieback, how versioning works, and how assignments control delivery to consumers.

Digital Product Passports in **tie*back*** follow a controlled publication lifecycle. Content is authored, reviewed, and then published as an immutable version. Published passports can later be revoked if needed. This ensures that the public record is deliberate, auditable, and stable.

## Lifecycle States

A passport progresses through three states:

| State         | UI Label      | Visibility                | Governance actions  |
| ------------- | ------------- | ------------------------- | ------------------- |
| `unpublished` | **Draft**     | Brand team only           | Publish             |
| `published`   | **Published** | Public (via scan or link) | Revoke, Break-Glass |
| `revoked`     | **Revoked**   | No longer publicly served | Break-Glass only    |

Transitions are forward-only: Draft → Published → Revoked. A published passport cannot be returned to Draft, and a revoked passport cannot be republished.

For full details on lifecycle states, transitions, and revocation scope, see [Lifecycle States](/passports/lifecycle-states).

## Immutable Versions

Each published version is a permanent, tamper-evident record. Once published:

* the content of that version cannot be modified
* the version remains available as a historical record
* consumers always see the most recently published version

If the product information changes, for example, a reformulation or updated sustainability data, a new version must be published. The previous version is retained as part of the passport's version history.

This immutability supports regulatory requirements for traceability and accountability. It ensures that the passport a consumer viewed at one point in time can be referenced later, exactly as it appeared.

## Why Publication Matters

The separation between draft and published states serves several purposes:

* **Quality control**: content can be reviewed and refined before it reaches the public
* **Regulatory integrity**: published records are immutable and auditable
* **Operational safety**: changes to the product catalogue do not automatically alter the public passport
* **Version history**: every published version is retained, supporting traceability obligations

## Assignment and Routing

Published passport versions are connected to products through **assignments**. An assignment determines which published version is served when a consumer scans a specific product or batch.

Assignments follow a hierarchy:

| Level              | Scope                                           | Purpose                                               |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Global default** | All products without a more specific assignment | Ensures every product has a baseline passport         |
| **Product-level**  | A specific product                              | Overrides the global default for that product         |
| **Batch-level**    | A specific production batch                     | Overrides the product-level assignment for that batch |

The most specific assignment wins. This allows brands to roll out passport updates progressively, for example, publishing a new version for a single production batch before applying it across the full product range.

## From Publication to Public Runtime

When a consumer scans a product:

1. The resolver identifies the product (and optionally the batch) from the scan URL
2. The platform determines the correct published passport version based on the active assignments
3. The published snapshot is rendered as the consumer-facing passport page

This process is automatic. Once a version is published and assigned, it is immediately available to consumers who scan the product.

## Version Updates

To update a passport:

1. Create a new draft (or edit an existing draft)
2. Make the required content changes
3. Publish the new version
4. Update assignments as needed to point to the new version

The previous published version remains in the version history and is no longer served to consumers once the assignment is updated.

## Related Docs

* [Passports Overview](/passports/overview)
* [Consumer Experience](/passports/consumer-experience)
* [Brand Setup & Readiness](/passports/brand-setup-readiness)
* [Minting Overview](/minting/overview)
* [Products](/product-module/products)