AI agents need operating instructions.
aiconfig.dev is a lightweight configuration standard that tells AI agents how to safely interact with your website, APIs, workflows, and humans.
{
"version": "0.1",
"allowed_actions": ["search_docs", "request_demo"],
"human_approval_required_for": ["payment"]
}Why this matters
The web already has conventions for crawlers, search engines, and language models. But AI agents are beginning to do more than read. They search, compare, book, submit, schedule, draft, and trigger workflows.
Acting safely requires more than content. It requires permissions, preferred endpoints, approval rules, identity, and auditability.
The missing layer of the agentic web
How it works
Publish a config
Add a simple config file at /.well-known/aiconfig.json or /aiconfig.json.
Agents discover it
Agents read the file before taking action on your site, APIs, or workflows.
Act within rules
Allowed actions, restricted actions, approval requirements, preferred endpoints, auth expectations, and audit behavior — all declared.
Example config
A minimal aiconfig.json declaring entrypoints, allowed and restricted actions, approval requirements, agent auth, and audit behavior.
{
"version": "0.1",
"site": "https://example.com",
"description": "Example business website",
"agent_entrypoints": {
"docs": "/llms.txt",
"support": "/api/agent/support",
"sales": "/api/agent/demo",
"search": "/api/agent/search"
},
"allowed_actions": [
"read_public_pages",
"search_docs",
"draft_support_ticket",
"request_demo",
"compare_products"
],
"restricted_actions": [
"complete_purchase",
"change_account_settings",
"delete_data",
"sign_contract"
],
"human_approval_required_for": [
"payment",
"legal_commitment",
"account_change",
"personal_data_export"
],
"auth": {
"agent_auth_supported": true,
"methods": ["oauth", "signed_agent_token"]
},
"audit": {
"log_agent_actions": true,
"provide_action_receipts": true
}
}Early use cases
Route agents to the right support endpoint.
Let agents compare products without completing purchases.
Define onboarding, docs, and demo workflows.
Allow search and draft reservations with human confirmation.
Expose safe workflow actions with approval rules.
This is an early draft convention, not a formal standard. The goal is to start a practical conversation among builders, developers, founders, and agent platform teams.
Help define the agent-operable web.
If agents are going to act on behalf of users and businesses, websites need a simple way to publish their rules.