# Enrol source observations and preserve their validity

Bind original observation time, completeness and withdrawal to an explicit reviewed source producer.

Source: https://help.smartfact.ai/manuals/configsheets/source-observations

Review edition: 25 October 2026

Roles: owner, author, reviewer

Qualified observations let reviewed selections and feed policies depend on explicit source age, completeness and lifecycle. Ordinary spreadsheet uploads do not acquire this authority by adding timestamp columns. Prepare the exact producer contract and source scope before enrolment.

## Enrol a source-bound producer

The Owner opens Source observations and Create an observation connection. Use current Owner authority and the requested recent second-factor check. Save the one-time credential in the supplying service's private settings. It grants observation upload and withdrawal for that source, not ordinary read, query, rule or stock powers.

Enrol that exact producer with the source subject, versioned observation contract, completeness contract and scope, and the meaning of observation timestamps. Download the private registration for the producer. It contains the exact contract reference without the credential.

## Keep original time and lifecycle

The producer submits snapshot and original metadata together. Observed time describes when the source observed the facts; receipt time is retained separately. Replaying an accepted observation does not refresh its age. Different content needs an explicit newer revision or identity.

New accepted observations supersede earlier ones. An explicit withdrawal invalidates accepted facts with a reason. Revoking a connection stops future submissions but does not itself rewrite the earlier lifecycle. Changing producer or contract creates a new registration revision and holds existing bindings until reviewed.

## Review the native binding independently

Authors bind the reviewed organisational validity definition to the exact enrolled sources and next native definition revision in Automation. Complete independent examples, proof, case and release reviews remain required. A normal edited definition may need explicit current rebind before proof or publication.

Approved execution uses the local materialisation and current native observations. It cannot relax source permissions, native freshness, errors or restore holds. Invalid observations hold qualified work rather than becoming an empty successful answer.

After restore, old registrations and observations do not become current again automatically. Preserve original-request recovery and follow [Read history, export and recover](/manuals/configsheets/history-export-and-recovery) before resuming qualified work.