# Concepts

> [!TIP]
> A document is a Markdown file with front matter. It has a type, an owner, a status and
> relations. Together the relations form a graph that `spec check` keeps honest.

## Read in this order

1. **[Document types](document-types.md)** — `sot`, `adr`, `plan` and eight more, and when to use each.
2. **[Lifecycle](lifecycle.md)** — statuses, and why they only move forward.
3. **[Owners and ids](owners-ids.md)** — where a document lives and how its id is made.
4. **[The graph](graph.md)** — relations, `spec context` and `spec graph`.
5. **[Checks](checks.md)** — rules, guards, plugins and audits.
6. **[Times and tasks](times-relations.md)** — timestamps, time zones and task items.