AID is a minimal, open standard that answers one question: "Given a domain name, where is its AI agent?"
It uses a single DNS TXT record to make any agent service—whether it speaks MCP, A2A, or another protocol—instantly discoverable. No more digging through API docs, no more manual configuration.
Built by the team at agentcommunity.org
- ✅ DNS-first discovery with optional protocol-specific subdomains (
_agent._<proto>.<domain>) - ✅ Well-known fallback (HTTPS-only, JSON, ≤64KB, ~2s timeout, no redirects; TTL=300 on success)
- ✅ PKA endpoint proof with Ed25519 HTTP Message Signatures (RFC 9421) and ±300s time windows
- ✅ Key aliases for byte efficiency (single-letter keys:
v,p,u,s,a,d,e,k,i) - ✅ Metadata fields (
docsfor documentation URLs,depfor deprecation timestamps) - ✅ New protocols (gRPC, GraphQL, WebSocket, Zeroconf)
- ✅ Multi-language parity (TypeScript, Python, Go, Rust, .NET, Java)
- ✅ Enhanced CLI with draft saving, standardized error messages, and comprehensive test coverage
AID establishes a well-known location for agent discovery. The process is simple, secure, and built on the backbone of the internet.
graph TD
A[User provides domain] --> B[Query _agent.domain TXT record]
B --> C{Record found?}
C -->|No| D[Discovery fails]
C -->|Yes| E[Parse record]
E --> F{Valid format?}
F -->|No| G[Invalid record error]
F -->|Yes| H[Extract uri, proto, auth]
H --> I[Connect to agent]
I --> J[Use MCP/A2A/OpenAPI protocol]
Notes:
- Canonical location is
_agent.<domain>. When a specific protocol is requested, clients may query_agent._<proto>.<domain>then_agent.<proto>.<domain>before the base record..well-knownJSON fallback is allowed only on DNS failure (HTTPS-only, JSON content-type, ≤64KB, ~2s timeout, no redirects). On success, TTL=300.- If
pka/kidare present, clients perform an Ed25519 HTTP Message Signatures handshake with exact covered fields and ±300s windows.
- Decentralized & Open: No central registry, no vendor lock-in. If you control a domain, you can publish an AID record.
- Contract-First: A language-agnostic YAML file is the single source of truth for all protocol constants, ensuring cross-language consistency.
- Protocol-Agnostic: Discover agents speaking MCP, A2A, OpenAPI, or even local protocols running in Docker.
- Idiomatic Libraries: Core libraries are hand-written in each language for the best developer experience, with constants generated automatically.
| Resource | Link | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Interactive Workbench | aid.agentcommunity.org | The best way to see the protocol in action with a live resolver and generator. |
| Official Documentation | docs.agentcommunity.org/aid | Read the full specification, guides, and API reference. |
| Command-Line Tool | npm install -g @agentcommunity/aid-doctor |
The quickest way to check, validate, generate, and save AID records. Built on @agentcommunity/aid-engine with draft saving, PKA key generation, and comprehensive diagnostics. |
| Examples Guide | EXAMPLES.md | Complete guide to the examples system: how examples are defined, generated, and used across DNS, UI, and testing. |
GitHub Repository: github.com/agentcommunity/agent-interface-discovery - Source code, issues, and community discussions.
Build AID-aware clients in your favorite language.
TypeScript (Node.js & Browser)
pnpm add @agentcommunity/aidNode.js (uses native DNS):
import { discover, AidError } from '@agentcommunity/aid';
const { record, ttl } = await discover('supabase.agentcommunity.org');
console.log(`Found ${record.proto} agent at ${record.uri} (TTL: ${ttl}s)`);
//=> Found mcp agent at https://api.supabase.com/mcp (TTL: 60s)Browser (uses DNS-over-HTTPS):
import { discover } from '@agentcommunity/aid/browser';
const { record } = await discover('supabase.agentcommunity.org');
console.log(`Found ${record.proto} agent at ${record.uri}`);Advanced Usage: For building custom tools, use
@agentcommunity/aid-engine- a pure, stateless library containing all AID business logic without CLI dependencies.
Python
pip install aid-discoveryfrom aid_py import discover, AidError
try:
result = discover("supabase.agentcommunity.org")
print(f"Found {result.record.proto} agent at {result.record.uri}")
#=> Found mcp agent at https://api.supabase.com/mcp
except AidError as e:
print(f"AID Error ({e.code}): {e}")
# NOTE: The Python package is currently published at https://pypi.org/project/aid-discovery/ and is not yet community-owned. Community transfer is planned for a future release.Go
go get -u github.com/agentcommunity/agent-interface-discovery/aid-goimport (
"fmt"
"log"
"github.com/agentcommunity/agent-interface-discovery/aid-go"
)
func main() {
result, err := aid.Discover("supabase.agentcommunity.org")
if err != nil {
log.Fatalf("AID Error: %v", err)
}
fmt.Printf("Found %s agent at %s (TTL: %d)\n", result.Record.Proto, result.Record.URI, result.TTL)
//=> Found mcp agent at https://api.supabase.com/mcp (TTL: 60)
}This repository uses a PNPM/Turborepo monorepo structure. It contains the full suite of libraries, tools, and documentation for the AID standard.
| Package | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| @agentcommunity/aid | Public | Core TypeScript library for Node.js and Browsers |
| @agentcommunity/aid-engine | Public | Pure business logic library (discovery, validation, PKA) |
| @agentcommunity/aid-doctor | Public | Official CLI for checking, validating, and generating AID records (wraps aid-engine) |
| @agentcommunity/aid-conformance | Public | Conformance suite exporting fixtures and a CLI runner |
| aid-discovery (Python) | Public | Official Python library |
| aid-go | Public | Official Go library |
| aid-rs (Rust) | Public | Parser + discovery (handshake behind feature flag) |
| aid-dotnet (.NET) | Public | Parser + discovery + PKA + well-known |
| aid-java (Java) | Public | Parser + discovery + PKA + well-known |
| @agentcommunity/aid-web | Private | The Next.js app for the website and workbench |
| @agentcommunity/e2e-tests | Private | E2E tests validating our live showcase domains |
| (test runners) | Private | Internal packages for orchestrating Python and Go tests via Turbo |
agent-interface-discovery/
├── protocol/ # Protocol constants (YAML source of truth)
├── scripts/ # Code generation and utility scripts
├── packages/
│ ├── aid/ # Core TypeScript library (Node.js + Browser)
│ ├── aid-engine/ # Pure business logic library (stateless)
│ ├── aid-doctor/ # CLI tool (wraps aid-engine with side effects)
│ ├── aid-py/ # Python library
│ ├── aid-go/ # Go library
│ ├── aid-rs/ # Rust library (parser + discovery; handshake feature)
│ ├── aid-dotnet/ # .NET library (parser + discovery + PKA)
│ ├── aid-java/ # Java library (parser + discovery + PKA)
│ ├── web/ # Next.js web workbench
│ ├── e2e-tests/ # End-to-end tests
│ └── (test-runners)/ # Internal test runners for Go/Python
├── tracking/ # Development progress tracking (PHASE_*.md)
├── .github/ARCHITECTURE.md # Comprehensive architecture documentation
├── tsconfig.base.json # Shared TypeScript configuration
├── tsup.config.base.ts # Shared build configuration
└── ... # Other configuration files
This project follows a production-grade monorepo architecture designed for long-term maintainability and developer productivity. Our ARCHITECTURE.md provides comprehensive documentation covering:
- Build System Decisions: Why we chose Turbo + tsup over alternatives, with performance benchmarks
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: How we ensure consistent behavior across Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Package Organization: Clear separation of concerns between published libraries and internal tools
- Developer Experience: Standardized commands and hot reloading for rapid iteration
Why This Matters: Understanding our architectural decisions enables contributors to extend the project effectively and ensures consistent development practices as the team scales. Every choice prioritizes long-term project health over short-term convenience.
The AID CLI follows a clean architecture pattern with clear separation of concerns:
@agentcommunity/aid-engine: Pure, stateless library containing all business logic (discovery, validation, PKA handshakes)@agentcommunity/aid-doctor: Thin CLI wrapper that handles user interaction, filesystem operations, and orchestrates the engine
Why This Separation:
- Testability: Pure functions in aid-engine are easily unit testable
- Reusability: Engine can be consumed by other tools without CLI dependencies
- Maintainability: Side effects are isolated in aid-doctor, business logic stays pure
- Performance: Engine can be used in server environments without CLI overhead
- Single command:
pnpm genreadsprotocol/constants.ymland writes language constants. - Currently supported: TypeScript, Python, Go, and optional Rust/.NET/Java (generated only if their package paths exist).
Prerequisites: Node.js (v18.17+), PNPM (v8+)
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/agentcommunity/agent-interface-discovery.git
cd agent-interface-discovery
# 2. Install dependencies
pnpm installThanks to Turborepo's intelligent caching, commands only rebuild what changed.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
pnpm dev |
Start all packages in development/watch mode. |
pnpm dev:core |
Start only core libraries (aid + aid-doctor) for focused work. |
pnpm dev:web |
Start web interface and its dependencies. |
pnpm build |
Build all packages for production (with intelligent caching). |
pnpm test |
Run the entire test suite across all languages (TS, Python, Go). |
pnpm lint |
Lint and format all code. |
pnpm e2e |
Run end-to-end tests against the live showcase records. |
pnpm gen |
Regenerate constant files from the YAML contract. |
pnpm clean |
Remove all build artifacts (dist, .turbo, etc.). |
The single source of truth for all protocol constants is protocol/constants.yml. To update them across all language packages, follow this process:
- Edit the YAML file: Make your changes in
protocol/constants.yml. - Run the generator: This command reads the YAML and updates the corresponding files in the TS, Go, and Python packages.
pnpm gen
- Verify and commit: Run the full test suite and build to ensure everything works.
Commit the changes to
pnpm clean && pnpm build && pnpm test
protocol/constants.ymlalong with all the newly generated files. The CI pipeline will fail if they are not in sync.
Implementation Complete - All v1.1 features implemented across 6+ languages with comprehensive testing. CLI enhanced with advanced features.
Ready for Release:
- ✅ All tests passing (70+ TypeScript tests + Python/Go parity tests)
- ✅ All builds successful (7/7 packages)
- ✅ Changesets prepared for version bumps
- ✅ Release workflow configured (npm + PyPI automation)
- ✅ Multi-language SDKs ready (TS, Python, Go, Rust, .NET, Java)
- ✅ Enhanced CLI with draft saving, standardized errors, and full test coverage
Next Step: Merge to main with chore(release) commit message to trigger automated release.
- Node.js: Version 18.17+ required (enforced via
enginesfield and.nvmrc) - PNPM: Version 8+ required for workspace support
- Cross-Platform: All scripts work identically on Windows, Mac, and Linux
- Hot Reloading: All packages support watch mode for rapid development
- Intelligent Caching: Turbo only rebuilds packages that actually changed, dramatically speeding up development cycles
Thanks to our production-grade setup:
- First build: ~15 seconds for all packages
- Incremental builds: ~1-3 seconds for most changes
- Test runs: Only affected packages run tests
- Cross-platform: Identical behavior on all operating systems
- For questions, ideas, and support, join our GitHub Discussions.
- Chat with us on Discord.
- To contribute, please see our Contributing Guide and Code of Conduct.
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Built by the team at agentcommunity.org