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

# Flow archival events

> Events emitted by Prefect Cloud when flows are archived, unarchived, or identified as dormant.

> [!NOTE]
>
> These events are only available in Prefect Cloud.

Flow archival events describe changes to a flow's visibility and eligibility for automatic archival.
For run state transitions, see [Flow run events](/docs/v3/api-ref/events/flow-run-events.md).
For setup instructions, see [Archive and restore flows](/docs/v3/how-to-guides/cloud/archive-flows.md).

## `prefect.flow.archived`

Emitted when a flow changes from unarchived to archived, whether through the UI, API, a bulk operation, or an automation.
Archiving an already archived flow does not emit an event.
A bulk operation emits one event for each flow whose state changes.

### Resource

| Label | Description |
| - | - |
| `prefect.resource.id` | `prefect.flow.{uuid}` |
| `prefect.resource.name` | Flow name |

### Related resources

Related resources identify the actor that performed the action, the account, and the workspace, with roles `actor`, `account`, and `workspace`.

### Payload

The payload describes the flow after the change.

| Field | Type | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `name` | string | Flow name |
| `tags` | array of strings | Flow tags |
| `labels` | object or null | Flow labels |
| `created_by` | object or null | Information about the flow's creator |
| `updated_by` | object or null | Information about the actor that updated the flow |
| `archived` | boolean | `true` |
| `archived_at` | string | ISO 8601 timestamp when the flow was archived |

## `prefect.flow.unarchived`

Emitted when a flow changes from archived to unarchived, including restoration by a workspace policy.
Unarchiving a flow that is not archived does not emit an event.

The resource, related resources, and payload fields are the same as for [`prefect.flow.archived`](#prefect-flow-archived), except `archived` is `false` and `archived_at` is `null`.

Archive and unarchive operations emit these specific events instead of an additional `prefect.flow.updated` event.

## `prefect.flow.dormant`

Emitted when Prefect Cloud identifies an unarchived flow that meets the workspace's [dormancy criteria](/docs/v3/how-to-guides/cloud/archive-flows.md#archive-dormant-flows).
The automation created by the **Dormant flow archival** policy responds with an archive action.
This event describes eligibility; it does not confirm that archival succeeded.
Use `prefect.flow.archived` to observe the completed change.

Dormant events are emitted only in workspaces with **Dormant flow archival** enabled.
Prefect Cloud checks daily and schedules events for up to 50 eligible flows per workspace, spread across the day.
It checks eligibility again before emitting each event.
A flow can produce another event on a later day if it remains dormant and unarchived, at most once per day per flow.

### Resource

| Label | Description |
| - | - |
| `prefect.resource.id` | `prefect.flow.{uuid}` |
| `prefect.resource.name` | Flow name |

### Related resources

This event has no related resources.

### Payload

| Field | Type | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `window_days` | integer | Effective inactivity window: the shorter of the configured `inactive_days` and the plan's run retention |
| `last_run_at` | string or null | Latest retained, non-deleted run's start time, or expected start time if it has not started; `null` when no such run is available |
| `run_retention_days` | integer | Plan's run retention in days when the event was emitted |

**Example: dormant flow event**

```json theme={null}
{
  "occurred": "2026-10-23T12:00:00Z",
  "event": "prefect.flow.dormant",
  "resource": {
    "prefect.resource.id": "prefect.flow.a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
    "prefect.resource.name": "retired-daily-report"
  },
  "related": [],
  "payload": {
    "window_days": 30,
    "last_run_at": null,
    "run_retention_days": 30
  },
  "id": "f6a7b890-1234-5678-9012-abcdef345678"
}
```