A contextual tab state is used to control the display of ribbon tabs on the ribbon when certain commands are active or an object is selected.

You assign ribbon tabs to a contextual tab state to display commands and controls on the ribbon when working in a specific context. For more information about the customization of ribbon contextual tab states, see Ribbon Contextual Tab States.

Create a ribbon panel (workflow diagram)		Create new ribbon panels as needed to display the commands and controls you want to display on the ribbon.
Create a ribbon tab (workflow diagram)		Create new tabs as needed to control the display of ribbon panels when the context of the contextual tab state is met.
Assign a ribbon tab		Assign the ribbon tabs to the contextual tab state.