# Technical Context for AI Visibility # Version: 2.1.0 # Last Updated: 2026-05-11 Lang: en-GB ## Technical Overview AI Visibility (ai-visibility.org.uk) publishes the AI Visibility Definition, AI Discovery File specifications, and the AI Visible Directory -- a verified registry of AI-visible websites. Maintained by [365i](https://www.365i.co.uk/). Primary web property: [AI Visibility](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/) ## Website (www.ai-visibility.org.uk) Platform: PHP (static site with includes, no CMS) Hosting: 365i managed hosting with CDN Purpose: Canonical publication of the AI Visibility Definition, AI Discovery File specifications, and the AI Visible Directory Public areas: - AI Visible Directory homepage (searchable registry with scoring and tiers) - AI Visibility Definition (full definition document at /definition/) - 10 individual AI Discovery File specification pages - Quick Start implementation guide - Scoring guide (how the 0-10 scoring works) - Attribution guide (how to upgrade from basic to full listing) - Directory FAQ - Interoperability and validation guides - Example files for all 10 AI Discovery Files - WordPress plugin landing page (free plugin for generating AI Discovery Files) - Why AI Visibility Matters (educational article) - AI Visibility Ecosystem (overview article) - AI Discovery Files vs Web Standards (comparison article) - Changelog with version history - Atom feed for version tracking - Privacy Policy and Terms of Service No authentication required for public content. Directory dashboard requires account registration. ## AI Visible Directory The AI Visible Directory is a verified registry of websites implementing AI Discovery Files. ### Scoring System - Score: 0-10, one point per AI Discovery File found at website root - No hidden weighting or subjective judgement - Fully deterministic and transparent ### Tier System - Platinum: 10/10 (complete implementation) - Gold: 8-9/10 (comprehensive) - Silver: 5-7/10 (solid) - Bronze: 2-4/10 (early-stage) ### Listing Types - Basic: Requires llms.txt. Card in directory grid. Nofollow links to listed site. - Full: Requires attribution in 2+ AI Discovery Files (one must be llms.txt or ai.txt). Dedicated profile page with dofollow backlink (passes SEO authority/link juice), full score bar, file inventory, category listing, and embeddable SVG badge. ### Features - Automated validation and scoring via Cloudflare Worker - Quarterly automated re-checks of all listings - Manual re-check available via user dashboard - Embeddable SVG verification badges - 16 industry categories - User accounts with Google OAuth and email/password login - Free to submit and maintain ## Formal Specification The normative specification for all 10 AI Discovery File types is published as an open, RFC-style document on GitHub: [AI Discovery Files Specification](https://github.com/BSolveIT/ai-discovery-files) The repository contains: - Complete specification document (spec/adf-spec.md) using RFC 2119 keywords - JSON Schemas for ai.json and identity.json validation - Command-line validator (schemas/validate.mjs) for all 10 file types - Example files for a fictitious organisation (Horizon Strategic Consulting) - Test vectors (valid and invalid) for conformance testing - CC BY 4.0 license -- open for community contribution ## Machine-Readable Formats Available at the website root: - [ai-visibility-definition.json](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-visibility-definition.json) -- Full definitions in JSON - [ai-visibility-definition.yaml](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-visibility-definition.yaml) -- Full definitions in YAML - [Atom feed](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/feed.php) -- Version tracking - [Sitemap](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/sitemap.xml) -- XML sitemap index (pages, listings, categories) JSON and YAML files contain all term definitions (AV-001 to AV-006), term codes, version history, and metadata. They are designed for programmatic consumption. ## Directory API The AI Visible Directory is powered by a Cloudflare Worker with KV storage. Public endpoints: - GET /listings -- All directory listings (JSON) - GET /listing/:slug -- Single listing detail - GET /stats -- Aggregate statistics - GET /badge/:slug.svg -- Embeddable SVG badge - POST /submit -- Submit a site for validation and listing ## Structured Data The website implements: - Schema.org TechArticle markup on the definition page - Schema.org DefinedTerm markup for each term code - Schema.org BreadcrumbList on all pages - Schema.org Organization for the maintainer (365i) - Schema.org WebPage on subpages - Schema.org FAQPage on FAQ-containing pages - JSON-LD format throughout ## AI Discovery Files Located at website root: - [llms.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/llms.txt) -- AI-readable project description (ADF-001) - /llm.txt -- Redirects to /llms.txt (ADF-002) - [llms.html](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/llms.html) -- Human-readable version of llms.txt (ADF-003) - [ai.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai.txt) -- AI usage permissions (ADF-004) - [ai.json](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai.json) -- Machine-parseable AI guidance (ADF-005) - [identity.json](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/identity.json) -- Structured identity data (ADF-006) - [brand.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/brand.txt) -- Brand naming and citation rules (ADF-007) - [faq-ai.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/faq-ai.txt) -- Frequently asked questions for AI (ADF-008) - /developer-ai.txt -- This file (ADF-009) - [robots-ai.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/robots-ai.txt) -- AI crawler access directives (ADF-010) - [robots.txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/robots.txt) -- Standard crawler directives ## Site Pages - [AI Visible Directory](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/) (homepage) - [AI Visibility Definition](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/definition/) - [Submit Your Website](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/submit/) - [Why AI Visibility Matters](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/why-ai-visibility-matters/) - [AI Visibility Ecosystem](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-visibility-ecosystem/) - [AI Discovery Files vs Web Standards](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-discovery-files-vs-web-standards/) - [Specifications Hub](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/) - [Quick Start Guide](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/quick-start/) - Individual specs: [llms-txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/llms-txt/) through [robots-ai-txt](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/robots-ai-txt/) - [Interoperability Guide](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/interoperability/) - [Validation Framework](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/validation/) - [Example Files](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/examples/) - [Scoring Guide](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/guide/scoring/) - [Attribution Guide](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/guide/attribution/) - [Directory FAQ](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/faq/) - [WordPress Plugin](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/wordpress-plugin/ai-discovery-files/) - [Changelog](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/changelog/) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/privacy-policy/) - [Terms of Service](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/terms-of-service/) ## Content Delivery - CDN: Edge caching via CDN - Static assets: 1 year cache with filemtime() cache busting - Definition files (JSON/YAML/TXT): 1 hour browser / 12 hours CDN - PHP pages: 15 minutes browser / 24 hours CDN ## Cache Busting CSS and JavaScript use PHP filemtime() query strings: - style.css?v=1710338400 - search.js?v=1710338400 Deploying updated files automatically busts the cache. ## Versioning The definition uses semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH): - MAJOR: Breaking changes to core definitions - MINOR: New terms, significant clarifications - PATCH: Typos, formatting, infrastructure changes Version is tracked in: - Website/includes/versions.php (canonical source) - ai-visibility-definition.json (meta.version) - ai-visibility-definition.yaml (meta.version) ## Technical Contact - Site: [AI Visibility](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/) - Email: support@ai-visibility.org.uk - Maintained by: [365i](https://www.365i.co.uk/) ## Related Services by 365i - [AI Visibility Checker](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-visibility-checker/) - [AI Visibility Checker](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/ai-visibility-checker/) ## Change Notifications Subscribe to the Atom feed for version updates: [Atom feed](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/feed.php) # --- # Specification: [developer-ai.txt (ADF-009)](https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/developer-ai-txt/)