Terminal workflow status '${requestedStatus}' requires a lif

Error message

Terminal workflow status '${requestedStatus}' requires a lifecycle writer

What it means

Error "Terminal workflow status '${requestedStatus}' requires a lifecycle writer" thrown in coleam00/Archon.

Source

Thrown at packages/core/src/db/workflows.ts:1135

/**
 * Partially update non-terminal workflow state. Terminal transitions use their
 * dedicated lifecycle writers so the run row cannot outpace its durable event.
 */
export async function updateWorkflowRun(
  id: string,
  updates: Partial<Pick<WorkflowRun, 'metadata' | 'output_root'>> & {
    status?: Exclude<WorkflowRunStatus, 'completed' | 'failed' | 'cancelled'>;
    outcome?: WorkflowRunOutcome;
    working_path?: string;
  }
): Promise<void> {
  const dialect = getDialect();
  const setClauses: string[] = [];
  const values: unknown[] = [];
  const requestedStatus: WorkflowRunStatus | undefined = updates.status;

  if (requestedStatus !== undefined && TERMINAL_WORKFLOW_STATUSES.includes(requestedStatus)) {
    throw new Error(`Terminal workflow status '${requestedStatus}' requires a lifecycle writer`);
  }

  if (requestedStatus !== undefined) {
    values.push(requestedStatus);
    setClauses.push(`status = $${values.length}`);
  }
  if (updates.metadata !== undefined) {
    // Use dialect helper for JSON merge - need to calculate the param index
    const paramIndex = values.length + 1;
    values.push(JSON.stringify(updates.metadata));
    setClauses.push(`metadata = ${dialect.jsonMerge('metadata', paramIndex)}`);
  }
  if (updates.outcome !== undefined) {
    values.push(updates.outcome);
    setClauses.push(`outcome = $${values.length}`);
  }
  if (updates.output_root !== undefined) {
    values.push(updates.output_root);

View on GitHub (pinned to 0773b97458)

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at packages/core/src/db/workflows.ts:1135 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of coleam00/Archon@0773b97458 (2026-09-01). Data as JSON: /api/errors/cb4cef4b24a19a28. Report an issue: GitHub.