Proposed orders confuse people because they look exactly like real orders. They use the same caption, the same formatting, and often the same language a judge would use. The difference is a signature and a docket entry.
Why parties submit them
Courts routinely ask the moving party to tender a proposed order so the judge can sign it if the motion is granted. It is a convenience, not a claim of authority.
Why this distinction is an integrity test for any archive
Publishing a proposed order and describing it as an order is the single easiest way for a records site to mislead. This archive labels every instrument by status: prepared, file-stamped, docketed, or entered. Two proposed orders in the July 30 record set are labeled as requests, not rulings. See the editorial standard.