> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is the membership lifecycle (Draft to Completed)?

> The five states a membership moves through and what publishing, deactivating, and archiving do.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * **Deactivating** an active membership doesn't cut members off — each rides out the billing period they've paid for, then their membership completes.
  * An **Active** membership must be deactivated before it can be **archived**.
  * A membership **auto-completes** on its own end date, winding its members down the same way.
</Note>

Every membership shows a status badge on the Memberships list. It moves through five states:

* **Draft** — a work in progress. Only a name is required to save it, and it isn't for sale yet.
* **Scheduled** — published with a future **Available From** date. It opens for purchase automatically when that date arrives.
* **Active** — live and on sale. Billing cycles are generated automatically and members can buy it.
* **Completed** — closed to new members. No new billing cycles are created, and current members keep access until the end of their paid period.
* **Archived** — hidden from your list and removed from sale.

You move a membership between states from the **⋯** menu on each row (the create/edit form itself only offers **Publish**, and only while the membership is still a Draft):

* **Publish** a draft to go Active now, or Scheduled if Available From is in the future.
* **Activate now** or **Unschedule** a scheduled membership.
* **Deactivate** an active one — this flags every current member to cancel at their period end, so nobody is billed for a cycle that will no longer exist.
* **Archive** a draft, scheduled, or completed membership.

A membership also completes on its own when its end date passes: it stops generating cycles and each member is flagged to end at their period end, with a notice sent to their guardian.

**Related:** [How do I publish a membership?](/club/memberships/how-do-i-publish-a-membership) · [How do I cancel a member's membership?](/club/memberships/how-do-i-cancel-a-members-membership) · [How do I edit a membership that has members?](/club/memberships/how-do-i-edit-a-membership-with-active-members)