ANML Foundation — Agentic Notation Markup Language
Internet-Draft — draft-jeskey-anml-00Agentic Notation<br>Markup Language<br>A machine-first markup language for agent-to-agent and agent-to-service communication over the internet. ANML describes content, intent, and interaction patterns optimized for machine interpretation.<br>Read the DocsView SpecificationRFC (XML)RFC (PDF)
Introducing ANML /ˈæn.ɪ.məl/<br>ANML, pronounced “animal,” is a machine-first markup language designed for the agentic web. Where HTML serves humans, ANML serves the autonomous agents that are becoming the primary consumers of web content.<br>We call ANML files “duckuments.”<br>A duck moves along the water with effortless grace. Straightforward, easily understood, calm on the surface. But beneath the waterline there is a lot going on: structured interactions, disclosure constraints, workflow state, knowledge exchange, and behavioral guidance all working together.<br>An ANML duckument looks simple to read and author, but it carries everything an autonomous agent needs to understand a service, respect privacy boundaries, navigate multi-step workflows, and act on behalf of its user with minimal inference over unstructured markup.
Machine-First<br>Structured for direct interpretation by autonomous agents, minimizing inference cost and maximizing determinism.
Dual Serialization<br>XML for human authoring and review. JSON for programmatic generation and agent-pipeline consumption. Both normative.
Privacy by Design<br>Agents control disclosure. Services may request information but constraints govern what can be shared.
What an ANML duckument looks like<br>This example shows a concert ticket service teaching an agent about a 4-week early bird deal, venue policies, accessibility info, media assets with descriptions, and a multi-step purchase flow — all in a single document.<br>JSONXML<br>"anml": "1.0",<br>"ttl": 1800,<br>"head": {<br>"title": "Summer Concert Series — Riverside Amphitheater",<br>"meta": [<br>{ "name": "type", "value": "service" },<br>{ "name": "category", "value": "entertainment.tickets" }<br>},<br>"constraints": {<br>"disclosure": [<br>{ "field": "payment-credential", "requires": "explicit-consent" },<br>{ "field": "email", "requires": "explicit-consent" },<br>{ "field": "location", "requires": "none" }<br>},<br>"state": {<br>"context": { "step": "browse" },<br>"flow": {<br>"step": [<br>{ "id": "browse", "label": "Browse events", "status": "current" },<br>{ "id": "select", "label": "Select seats", "status": "pending",<br>"action": "reserve-seats" },<br>{ "id": "checkout", "label": "Checkout", "status": "pending",<br>"action": "create-order", "required": true },<br>{ "id": "confirm", "label": "Tickets confirmed", "status": "pending" }<br>},<br>"interact": {<br>"action": [<br>{ "id": "reserve-seats", "method": "POST",<br>"endpoint": "/events/{eventId}/reserve",<br>"enctype": "application/json", "auth": "none" },<br>{ "id": "create-order", "method": "POST",<br>"endpoint": "/orders",<br>"enctype": "application/json", "auth": "required",<br>"confirm": true }<br>},<br>"knowledge": {<br>"inform": [<br>"confidentiality": "public",<br>"ttl": 2419200,<br>"content": "DEAL: 4-week early bird pricing — 20% off all GA tickets purchased before June 15. Use code EARLYBIRD at checkout. Group discounts available for 6+ tickets."<br>},<br>"confidentiality": "public",<br>"ttl": 3600,<br>"content": "Venue capacity: 12,000. Parking: $25/vehicle, free for VIP. Gates open 90 minutes before showtime. No outside food or beverages. Clear bag policy enforced."<br>},<br>"confidentiality": "public",<br>"ttl": 86400,<br>"content": "Accessibility: wheelchair-accessible seating in sections A1-A4. ASL interpreters available upon 72-hour advance request. Assistive listening devices at Guest Services."<br>],<br>"ask": [<br>{ "field": "location", "action": "reserve-seats",<br>"required": false, "purpose": "nearby-event-suggestions" },<br>{ "field": "email", "action": "create-order",<br>"required": true, "purpose": "ticket-delivery" },<br>{ "field": "payment-credential", "action": "create-order",<br>"required": true, "purpose": "payment" }<br>},<br>"persona": {<br>"tone": { "value": "enthusiastic" },<br>"instructions": "Highlight the early bird deal prominently. Mention the clear bag policy proactively. If the user asks about accessibility, provide full details. Always confirm seat selection and total price before checkout."<br>},<br>"body": {<br>"section": [<br>"id": "featured",<br>"label": "Featured Event",<br>"item": [<br>"field": [<br>{ "name": "artist", "content": "The Midnight Revival" },<br>{ "name": "date", "content": "2026-07-19T20: 00: 00-04: 00" },<br>{ "name": "venue", "content": "Riverside Amphitheater" },<br>{ "name": "ga-price", "content": "65.00" },<br>{ "name": "vip-price", "content": "195.00" },<br>{ "name": "currency", "content": "USD" },<br>{ "name": "availability", "content": "4,200 GA / 340 VIP remaining" }<br>],<br>"img": [<br>"src": "/events/midnight-revival-poster.jpg",<br>"description": "Concert poster: The Midnight Revival performing on an outdoor stage at sunset, string lights overhead, crowd silhouettes in foreground."<br>],<br>"video": [<br>"src": "/events/midnight-revival-preview.mp4",<br>"description":...