> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pluvo.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Base Scenarios

> Every organization in Pluvo has one **Base Scenario**—your financial source of truth. Other scenarios are branches created from the base that inherit

## Base Scenario Behavior

Every organization in Pluvo has one **Base Scenario**—your financial source of truth. Other scenarios are branches created from the base that inherit everything by default, unless a change is made.

This model gives you power and flexibility: change only what’s different, and let the rest stay in sync.

### How Scenario Inheritance Works

When you create a new scenario:

* It clones the Base Scenario
* All variable definitions are **linked** to the Base
* **Changes in the Base will automatically propagate to all scenarios—unless a variable or cell has been overridden**

### Linked vs.

De-Linked Variables and Cells

#### Editing a Variable

If you edit a variable’s formula in a **non-base** scenario:

* That variable becomes **fully de-linked**
* It no longer inherits any updates from the Base
* If you delete the changes to a de-linked variable, the link to base will be restored.

#### Editing a Cell

If you change a single cell (within a variable) in a scenario:

* Only that **cell** becomes de-linked
* The rest of the variable **remains linked** to the Base
* Future changes in the Base will apply to all **non-de-linked cells**

<Note>
  De-linked cells are visually indicated by a **blue highlight** in the grid.
</Note>

This behavior applies to **both forecast and actuals definitions**—you can override either on a cell-by-cell basis.

### Example Walkthrough

You have a variable called `Engineer Salary` in both your Base and Optimistic scenarios.

* In the **Base Scenario**, salary is \$10,000/month

* In the **Optimistic Scenario**, you increase the April salary to \$12,000 by editing a single cell

* That **April cell is now de-linked**

* It appears **highlighted blue**

* If you later change the base salary to \$11,000:

* All months **except April** update in the Optimistic Scenario

* April stays at \$12,000 (it’s de-linked)

You can override as little or as much of a variable as needed, giving you surgical control without needing to fully de-link everything.

### Quick Reference:

What Happens When...

\| Action                             | Result                                                  |

\| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |

\| Edit a variable in Base            | All linked variables in other scenarios update          |

\| Edit a full variable in a scenario | That variable becomes fully de-linked                   |

\| Edit a single cell in a scenario   | That cell becomes de-linked (blue highlight)            |

\| Edit a de-linked variable in Base  | No impact on scenarios where that variable is de-linked |

\| Edit a de-linked cell in Base      | No impact on that cell; others may still update         |

### Global Behaviors

Some actions affect all scenarios, regardless of link status:

\| Action                                | Applies to All Scenarios |

\| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |

\| Creating or deleting variables        | ✅ Yes                    |

\| Changing variable structure (folders) | ✅ Yes                    |

\| Editing actuals logic                 | ✅ Yes (unless de-linked) |

### Best Practices

* Use **full variable edits** for structural or logic changes
* Use **cell overrides** when modeling point-in-time differences (bonuses, late payments, etc.)
* Watch for **blue-highlighted cells** to track where scenario logic diverges
* Avoid de-linking unnecessarily—linked variables are easier to maintain

For more on how to roll scenario changes back into the Base, see Merging Scenarios.