The Document Life Cycle (or sometimes, information life cycle or content life cycle) refers to the set of stages that content passes through, from its initial authoring or development, through updating, repurposing, translation, publication in various formats or media, revising, updating, and finally "retirement."

The technologies and processes that manage this life cycle are generally referred to as content management, and, more recently, are seen as calling for a content strategy.

The smooth, efficient management of the document life cycle can make a major difference in your costs, time-to-market, user experience, and competitiveness.