---
title: "State completeness — The Complete Flow Law"
source: "/reference/layr-002-complete-flow/state-completeness"
description: "Not every component needs every state. It needs the states its own task can reach, which is a shorter and more specific list."
---
# State completeness

Part of [LAYR-002 — The Complete Flow Law](/__layr/pages/reference/layr-002-complete-flow.md). The complete rule and agent contract live in the full Markdown representation.

## State completeness

Not every component needs every state. It needs the states its own task can reach, which is a shorter and more specific list.

A useful candidate-state set:

```text
initial
loading
empty
ready
pending
success
error
disabled
partial success
permission denied
conflict/stale
```

Not every component needs every state.

Ask:

> Which of these states can actually occur in this task?

Then design those.

---

## Feedback loops

Every meaningful action creates a loop:

```text
intent
↓
action
↓
system receives action
↓
system changes
↓
user perceives result
```

The loop is incomplete when the user cannot tell what happened.

Examples:

- save succeeds but UI never updates,
- upload completes but file never appears,
- deletion succeeds but row remains,
- background job finishes invisibly.

---

## Failure loops

Failure creates:

```text
action
↓
failure
↓
explanation
↓
recovery
↓
retry or safe exit
```

An error banner may explain failure but still leave the user stranded.

---

## Partial success

Batch work may produce:

```text
100 requested
94 succeeded
6 failed
```

Do not label that simply "success" or "failure."

A complete flow may need:

```text
94 completed
6 failed

Review failures
Retry failed
```

depending on task scale.

---

## Interruption and re-entry

Users leave.

Connections fail.

Long tasks continue.

For significant-duration work ask:

- Can the user navigate away?
- Does work continue?
- Is status persisted?
- Can they return?
- Is completion discoverable?
- Can failure be revisited?

Not every short mutation needs this.

Long-running workflows often do.

---

## The completion envelope

Use three boundaries.

## Minimum complete

The minimum required for correct interaction.

```text
input
validation
pending
success
failure
preservation/recovery
```

## Product-complete

Adds behavior clearly established by the product.

```text
permissions
navigation conventions
existing actions
existing feedback patterns
```

## Extended scope

Adds a new capability.

Requires explicit product approval.

---