Close full operational audit findings

docs/API_CONTRACTS.md

@@ -90,12 +90,15 @@ Returns enabled feature flags and tool availability.
 
 ### GET `/api/v1/projects`
 
-Returns active projects with `limit`/`offset` pagination. Optional exact
-`name` filtering supports stable lookup of a canonical operational workspace
-without depending on its position among newer operator or benchmark projects:
+Returns active projects by default with `limit`/`offset` pagination. The
+optional `status` query accepts `active`, `archived` or `all`; deleted projects
+are never returned. Optional exact `name` filtering supports stable lookup of
+a canonical operational workspace without depending on its position among
+newer operator or benchmark projects:
 
 ```text
 GET /api/v1/projects?name=Kempen%20Regional%20Workbench&limit=1
+GET /api/v1/projects?status=archived&limit=50
 ```
 
 ### POST `/api/v1/projects`
@@ -118,11 +121,16 @@ Returns one project with summary counts.
 
 ### PATCH `/api/v1/projects/{project_id}`
 
-Updates name/description/region.
+Updates name, description, region or the ordinary lifecycle status. The status
+can only be `active` or `archived`. Archiving keeps datasets, jobs, analyses,
+quality checks and exports intact while removing the workspace from the
+default active-project list.
 
 ### DELETE `/api/v1/projects/{project_id}`
 
-Soft-delete in V1 preferred. Hard-delete only if storage cleanup is also implemented.
+Marks the project as deleted. This route does not remove storage artifacts or
+related persistence and is not the ordinary workspace-cleanup path. Operators
+and the UI use `PATCH` with `status: "archived"` for reversible cleanup.
 
 ## Areas