State types
How the type of a fact decides how strictly it is governed.
Every state item has a type that reflects its role. The type decides how strongly it is governed: how long it stays relevant, how serious a conflict on it is, and how often policies depend on it.
| Type | Example | Decay resistance | Conflict severity | Gate participation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constraint | Payment threshold $10,000 | Very high | Critical | Frequently required |
| Decision | Approved vendor is Acme | High | Critical | Frequently required |
| Procedure | Claims over $10,000 need two approvers | High | High | Often required |
| Fact | Claim amount $48,200 | Medium | High | Often required |
| Goal | Settle within 30 days | Low | Warning | Rarely required |
| Belief | Expect settlement in May | Low | Warning | Rarely required |
| Preference | Customer prefers email | Very low | Advisory | Not used |
Types have subtypes for finer classification. The decay, severity and participation columns are illustrative of how types are weighted. Types are assigned automatically when state is recorded or extracted, and can be corrected in the console.
See how type affects relevance over time in Decay and relevance.
Last reviewed October 2026Suggest a change