Agent Definition Language (ADL)

Format id: adl. Reads and writes ADL documents, one agent per YAML or JSON file, identified by an adl_spec key. The writer produces ADL 0.3 and validates against the published 0.3 schema in tests.

ADL is published under Apache 2.0 with an irrevocable patent non-assertion covenant that covers conforming implementations.

Read mapping

Ledger field	ADL source	Provenance
agent id	id; otherwise a slug of name
display_name, description	name, description	declared
model.requested, model.provider	model.name, model.provider	declared
model.parameters	model.temperature, model.max_tokens	declared
instructions	system_prompt, or its template	declared
tools[]	tools[]: name, description, parameters → input schema, returns → output schema	declared
tools[].scope	read_only: true → read; read_only: false → write	declared / derived
tools[].reversible	true for read-only tools	derived
tools[].requires_confirmation	requires_confirmation	declared
knowledge[]	resources[]: name, description, type	declared
permissions.identity, principal	cryptographic_identity.did → the agent's own identity	derived / declared
permissions.grants[]	permissions.filesystem.allowed_paths, permissions.network.allowed_hosts	declared
extensions.adl	Everything else: version, lifecycle, provider, data classification, security, runtime, metadata, profiles, profile-specific sections, and the full permissions block	declared

Tool refs are tool/openapi.<openapi_ref>#<operation_id> when a tool's annotations name an OpenAPI operation, so agents that call the same operation share the entity. Otherwise refs are scoped to the agent: tool/adl.<agent>.<tool>. Resources with a uri use it as their ref.

Declared losses when writing ADL

Field	Reason
model.resolved	ADL describes the requested model only
model.parameters other than temperature and max_tokens	Not in ADL's model block
tools[].reversible	No reversibility field; only read-only tools read back as reversible
tools[].scope of execute or admin	ADL can only say whether a tool is read-only
knowledge[].scope	Resources don't declare an access scope
permissions.identity, principal	ADL identifies an agent only by a DID
permissions.grants[]	Only network and filesystem boundaries are expressible
permissions.access[]	No list of who may use the agent

Values the writer fills in

ADL requires some fields that other formats may not have. The writer fills them in and the fidelity report lists each one as defaulted:

• description: the name.
• version: 0.0.0.
• data_classification: restricted, the most protective level, so that it gets reviewed.