{ "meta": { "title": "ai.json Specification", "description": "The canonical specification for ai.json files - machine-parseable AI interaction guidance in JSON format.", "version": "1.8.0", "versionDate": "2026-06-11", "canonicalUrl": "https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/ai-json/", "publisher": { "name": "365i", "url": "https://www.365i.co.uk/" }, "license": { "name": "Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International", "identifier": "CC-BY-4.0", "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" }, "datePublished": "2026-01-12T00:00:00Z", "dateModified": "2026-06-11T00:00:00Z", "language": "en-GB" }, "specification": { "filename": "ai.json", "location": "Website root directory", "urlPattern": "https://example.com/ai.json", "mimeType": "application/json", "encoding": "UTF-8", "purpose": "Provide machine-parseable AI interaction guidance in strict JSON format. Enables AI systems to programmatically determine permissions, restrictions, and behavioural expectations.", "schema": { "url": "https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/ai-json/v1/ai-json.schema.json", "latestUrl": "https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/ai-json/ai-json.schema.json", "version": "1.0.0" }, "format": { "type": "JSON", "description": "Strict JSON, schema-validated", "requirements": { "valid": "MUST be valid JSON per RFC 8259", "schema": "MUST include $schema reference", "encoding": "Must be UTF-8 encoded" } }, "properties": { "required": [ { "property": "$schema", "type": "string", "description": "Reference to the ai.json JSON Schema. Publishers SHOULD pin to the versioned URL for stability; the unversioned URL is also accepted as a 'latest' alias.", "example": "https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/ai-json/v1/ai-json.schema.json" }, { "property": "name", "type": "string", "description": "Official organisation name" }, { "property": "url", "type": "string", "format": "uri", "description": "Canonical website URL" }, { "property": "permissions", "type": "array", "description": "List of permitted AI actions", "items": "Permission objects with action and optional conditions" }, { "property": "restrictions", "type": "array", "description": "List of prohibited AI actions", "items": "Restriction objects with action and reason" } ], "recommended": [ { "property": "attribution", "type": "object", "description": "Attribution requirements", "properties": [ { "property": "required", "type": "boolean" }, { "property": "format", "type": "string" }, { "property": "examples", "type": "array" } ] }, { "property": "contact", "type": "object", "description": "Contact information for AI-related queries", "properties": [ { "property": "email", "type": "string", "format": "email" } ] }, { "property": "scope", "type": "object", "description": "Scope of these permissions", "properties": [ { "property": "appliesTo", "type": "string" }, { "property": "excludes", "type": "array" } ] } ], "optional": [ { "property": "language", "type": "string", "description": "BCP 47 language tag (e.g. en-GB) declaring the natural language of human-readable content in this file. See /specifications/conventions/#language-declaration.", "example": "en-GB" }, { "property": "licensing", "type": "object", "description": "Content licensing information", "properties": [ { "property": "contentLicense", "type": "string" }, { "property": "aiTrainingAllowed", "type": "boolean" } ] }, { "property": "metadata", "type": "object", "description": "File metadata", "properties": [ { "property": "version", "type": "string" }, { "property": "lastUpdated", "type": "string", "format": "date" }, { "property": "generator", "type": "string" } ] } ] }, "permissionObject": { "description": "Structure for permission entries", "properties": { "action": { "type": "string", "description": "The permitted action identifier", "required": true }, "description": { "type": "string", "description": "Human-readable description" }, "conditions": { "type": "array", "description": "Conditions that apply to this permission" } } }, "restrictionObject": { "description": "Structure for restriction entries", "properties": { "action": { "type": "string", "description": "The prohibited action identifier", "required": true }, "reason": { "type": "string", "description": "Why this action is prohibited" }, "severity": { "type": "string", "enum": ["must-not", "should-not"], "description": "Severity level of the restriction" } } }, "validation": { "rules": [ "MUST be valid JSON", "MUST validate against ai.json JSON Schema", "MUST include $schema reference", "MUST include name, url, permissions, and restrictions", "URLs MUST be valid URI format", "Email addresses MUST be valid email format", "Extension properties beyond this specification are permitted and MAY be ignored by consumers, but MUST NOT redefine or contradict documented properties" ], "commonErrors": [ "Missing $schema reference", "Invalid JSON syntax", "Missing required properties", "Type mismatches (string vs array)", "Invalid URL or email formats", "Contradictory permissions and restrictions" ] }, "relationships": { "ai.txt": "Human-readable equivalent - should contain consistent information", "llms.txt": "Identity information must match", "identity.json": "Organisation details must be consistent" } }, "example": { "url": "https://www.ai-visibility.org.uk/specifications/examples/ai.json", "business": "Horizon Strategic Consulting" }, "versionHistory": [ { "version": "1.8.0", "date": "2026-06-11", "changes": "Schema validation opened to extension properties (additionalProperties is now true). The $schema property accepts both the unversioned schema URL and the versioned /v1/ URL. The canonical example now validates against the published schema." }, { "version": "1.7.0", "date": "2026-05-11", "changes": "Phase 6 standardisation release. Added /specifications/roadmap/ (theme-pegged forward plan with Active/Next/Future/On hold status flags), /specifications/extensions/ (rules for experimental x- prefixed files and the promotion path), and /specifications/i18n-a11y/ (multi-language publication, locale-tagged identity fields, RTL handling, accessibility of llms.html). Added the Discovery: directive to the robots-ai.txt specification (publishers MAY advertise AI Discovery Files on the same host). Added a formal media-type stance to the HTTP behaviour page (existing IANA types, no bespoke registrations). Expanded the file integrity and signing section on the security and privacy page with four candidate mechanisms, cross-cutting concerns, and interim publisher / consumer guidance. The Discovery: directive is the only normative addition to publisher behaviour; all other additions are forward-looking documentation." }, { "version": "1.6.0", "date": "2026-05-11", "changes": "Phase 5 standardisation release. Added /specifications/related-standards/ (positioning vs llmstxt.org, IETF AI Preferences, robots.txt, Schema.org, BCP 14, JSON Schema 2020-12, SemVer) and /specifications/implementations/ (public record of conformant implementations, IETF-style). Added an explicit llmstxt.org backward-compatibility statement to the llms.txt specification. Added a formal multi-domain and subdomain scoping rule to both the llms.txt and identity.json specifications (host-scoped files, cross-host identity asserted via sameAs). No normative requirements changed for existing publishers; the new scoping rules formalise behaviour the specification already implied." }, { "version": "1.5.0", "date": "2026-05-11", "changes": "Phase 4 standardisation release. Added /specifications/processing-model/ (seven-stage algorithm for conformant consumers), /specifications/consumer-guidance/ (what AI systems should do with AI Discovery Files), /specifications/test-vectors/ (canonical test suite framing), and reference-implementation framing on the AI Visibility Checker. No normative requirements changed." }, { "version": "1.4.0", "date": "2026-05-11", "changes": "Phase 3 standardisation release. Added /specifications/versioning/ (Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 commitments, deprecation timeline, lifecycle), /specifications/governance/ (proposal lifecycle, editorial process, working principles), /specifications/security-privacy/ (trust model, content-injection patterns, GDPR considerations, integrity primitives roadmap), and /specifications/http-behaviour/ (status codes, redirects, soft-404 detection, caching, rate limits). No normative requirements changed." }, { "version": "1.3.0", "date": "2026-05-11", "changes": "Phase 2 standardisation release. Added formal conformance specification (Essential / Recommended / Complete classes). Published machine-readable registry at /specifications/registry.json, spec meta-schema, and validator-output schema. Introduced versioned JSON Schema URLs (/v1/) alongside unversioned 'latest' aliases. Added optional BCP 47 language declaration field across all applicable AI Discovery Files. No normative requirements changed." }, { "version": "1.2.0", "date": "2026-05-10", "changes": "Phase 1 standardisation release. Added 'Status of This Document' block (Stable). Normalised normative requirement keywords to uppercase per RFC 2119 and RFC 8174. Added References section linking to /specifications/conventions/ and /licensing/. No normative requirements changed." }, { "version": "1.1.1", "date": "2026-02-13", "changes": "Added AI Visibility Directory registration guidance. Minor documentation update." }, { "version": "1.1.0", "date": "2026-01-14", "changes": "Added expanded optional properties (scope, training, dataRetention) and Content Not Permitted guidance. Clarifies JSON-specific requirements and validation rules." }, { "version": "1.0.0", "date": "2026-01-12", "changes": "Initial specification release. Establishes JSON format for AI interaction guidance with JSON Schema validation." } ] }