Methods, systems, and devices for programmable metadata and related operations are described. A method may include receiving signaling that indicates a set of rules for transitions of states of metadata at a memory device storing the metadata. The memory device may receive a command from a host device associated with a set of data after receiving the set of rules. The memory device may transition metadata associated with the set of data stored at the memory device from a first state to a second state based in part on the set of rules and the command. The memory device may execute the command received from the host device.