> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://signatureapi-daf4ee54.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Envelope lifecycle

> Track envelope status through processing, in_progress, completed, failed, and canceled states

The `status` property indicates the envelope's current stage in the signing process.

| Status        | Description                                                                                                       |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `processing`  | The envelope is being prepared. Documents are validated and recipients are queued for notification.               |
| `in_progress` | The envelope has been sent to recipients and is waiting for all participants to complete their part.              |
| `completed`   | All recipients have completed the envelope. A deliverable has been generated.                                     |
| `failed`      | An internal error occurred during processing. Failures are rare and trigger automatic alerts to the support team. |
| `canceled`    | The signing process was stopped before completion.                                                                |

The typical progression is `processing` to `in_progress` to `completed`. An envelope can transition to `failed` from `processing`, or to `canceled` from `in_progress`.

<Note>To cancel an envelope in `in_progress` status, use the [Cancel Envelope](/docs/api/resources/envelopes/cancel) endpoint. Envelopes in `processing` status cannot be canceled directly. They must first transition to `in_progress`.</Note>