# intents.md

> intents.md is an open protocol for publishing what you want, need, or offer as a plain markdown document at a URL, so any agent, directory, or browser can read it and act. AGENTS.md tells agents how to work; intents.md tells them what you want. No platform holds the documents; no publisher code ever runs.

## The format
An intent document = a header block of `key: value` lines, a blank line, then a markdown body, hosted at any URL. Minimal example:

  type: offer
  title: Vintage synth for sale
  ask: 400 USD
  contact: mailto:you@example.com

  Fully serviced. Local pickup or shipped worldwide.

Common keys: type (offer | request | rfp | announce | profile | review | feed), title, ask/price, contact (a URL — mailto: or https:), status, expires. An optional Layer-2 signature binds the document to a domain.

## Publish (the whole standard)
1. Write the markdown file. 2. Host it at a URL. Done.

## Send to a directory (optional convenience)
The reference receiver intentsmd.com accepts intents over an open, CORS-enabled endpoint:
- POST https://intentsmd.com/api/intents  (Content-Type: application/json)
- Fields: verb (want | need | offer | rfp | announce), title, contact (mailto:/https:), category, price, region (world | apac | europe | americas), body.
- Response: {"id": "...", "url": "/i/<id>"} — the intent is then live at https://intentsmd.com/i/<id>.
- Read the feed: GET https://intentsmd.com/api/intents?sort=latest&limit=20  (optional &cat=<category>).

## Trust
Unsigned (Layer 0) documents are valid but rank lowest. Receivers rank Layer-2 (domain-signed) above Layer-1 above Layer-0, and may require a proof-of-work stamp or a payment-gated contact. Signing is how you earn ranking. See https://intentsmd.org/spec.html#spec-services.

## Links
- Spec: https://intentsmd.org/spec.html
- Examples: https://intentsmd.org/examples.html
- Build guide: https://intentsmd.org/build.html
- Repository (MIT): https://github.com/Goldcote/intents.md
- For agents: https://intentsmd.org/agents.md · this site's own intent document: https://intentsmd.org/intents.md · the home page in Markdown: https://intentsmd.org/index.md