1. Introduction: From Points to a Network

The Web/A protocol suite is not merely a proposal for a new document format. It is an ecosystem that redefines the entire lifecycle of data: Creation (Foundry), Interface, Ownership, and Infrastructure. Together, they form an "Autonomous Network of Trust" that is independent of any single platform.

This paper provides an overview of how the five key components collaborate to balance user data sovereignty with intelligent automation.

2. Ecosystem Map (The Big Picture)

The flow of information in the Web/A ecosystem is not a one-way broadcast, but an organic cycle woven by issuers, users, and mediators.

graph TD
    classDef highlight fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px;
    classDef blue fill:#eef,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;
    classDef green fill:#efe,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;
    classDef yellow fill:#fffbe6,stroke:#333,stroke-width:1px;

    %% The Engine
    Maker[Web/A Maker / SSG]

    subgraph Documents [Interfaces / Files]
        Form[Web/A Form]
        Doc[Web/A Document / Report]
        Aggregator[Web/A Aggregator]
    end

    subgraph Storage [Ownership / Storage]
        Folio[Web/A Folio / Briefcase]
    end

    subgraph Network [Infrastructure / Delivery]
        Post[Web/A Post / Postal Hub]
    end

    %% Relations
    Maker -->|1. Build & Sign| Form
    Maker -->|1. Build & Sign| Doc
    Maker -->|1. Build & Sign| Aggregator
    
    Form -->|2. Fill, Sign & Submit| Doc
    Doc -->|3. Receive, Verify & Save| Folio
    
    Folio <-->|4. Deliver, Delegate & Sync| Post
    Post <-->|5. Federation / Delivery| Post2[Another Web/A Post]
    
    Post -->|6. Data Collection| Aggregator
    Aggregator -->|7. Analysis & Feedback| Maker

    %% Apply Classes
    class Maker yellow;
    class Form,Doc,Aggregator blue;
    class Folio highlight;
    class Post green;

3. Roles of the Components

3.1. Web/A (Format) — The Atomic Unit of Trust

The foundation for everything: an "Archive-Quality" document format.

  • Features: A single HTML file that encapsulates HTML (view), JSON-LD (structured data), fonts, and signatures.
  • Value: Ensures that a document can be "read" by a browser 50 years from now while being simultaneously "verifiable" by a machine.

3.2. Web/A Maker & Aggregator (Foundry) — The Mint and Intelligence of Trust

A suite of tools powered by the Sorane SSG (Static Site Generator) designed to handle the beginning and end of the document lifecycle.

  • Maker: Generates signed Web/A documents/forms from templates.
  • Aggregator: Collects and analyzes signed data submitted via Post, providing dashboards and insights.
  • Value: Enables developers to bake automated "trust generation" and "trust analysis" into existing workflows.

3.3. Web/A Form (Interface) — The Interactive Document

An interactive document that adds "input" and "confidentiality" capabilities to the Web/A format.

  • Features: The form operates as an autonomous program, handling Passkey signing and recipient-only encryption (L2E).
  • Value: Shifts from a model where servers wait for input to one where the document itself "returns with the answer."

3.4. Web/A Folio (Ownership) — The Digital Briefcase

A personal data container residing on the user's local device for managing their own evidence and history.

  • Features: While "wallets" primarily handle identity, a Folio structure manages a vast volume of "documents (records)."
  • Value: Serves as the bedrock for true Self-Sovereign data management—your data is in your hands.

3.5. Web/A Post (Infrastructure) — The Intelligent Postal Hub

The delivery infrastructure responsible for message transport and identity mediation between Folios.

  • Features: It does not hold master data. Instead, it specializes in routing, context management, and "automated responses in owner absence."
  • Value: Acts as an intelligent gatekeeper or digital counter, maintaining a 24/7 presence on behalf of the user.

4. Infrastructure for AI Agents: Bring Your Own AI Agent (BYOA)

Today's AI ecosystem is often trapped in "fragmented silos" that exist only within specific platforms. One agent might have advanced reasoning but lacks access to the user's master data (evidence), while another might read the data but has no way to verify its authenticity.

The Web/A ecosystem provides a common infrastructure for "Bring Your Own AI Agent (BYOA)"—allowing users to bring an AI agent of their choice to achieve safe and sophisticated automation.

  • Eyes and Hands for Agents: Web/A's machine-readability (JSON-LD) and Post's delivery capabilities serve as the "common language" and "nervous system" for AI agents.
  • Chain of Trust: Agents can autonomously verify whether a received document has been tampered with and who signed it, without relying on a central platform.
  • Structured Context: The structured data accumulated in a Folio serves as a foundation for agents to accurately understand the user's situation (e.g., via RAG) and provide high-precision assistance.

5. Implementation & Deployment: From CLI to Large-scale Ecosystems

While the Web/A ecosystem is currently provided as a reference implementation for developers, its roadmap envisions large-scale, cross-sector deployment spanning public, private, and personal domains.

  • Folio CLI / MCP (Present): Tools that allow AI agents and developers to directly manipulate and verify data via the command line or Model Context Protocol (MCP).
  • Large-scale & Cross-sector Deployment (Future): A Folio is not only for direct management by individuals but can also serve as a standard infrastructure for the exchange of official evidence between government entities (G2G), businesses (B2B), and between enterprises and administrations (B2G/G2B).
  • Integration into Service Platforms: Organizations with extensive customer bases and data—or those seeking to dramatically improve the user experience for complex applications and procedures—can integrate this reference implementation into their own infrastructure to provide secure "Digital Briefcase" functionality to their users.

6. Use Case Scenario: The Lifecycle of a Document

  1. Issuance: An issuing organization (enterprise, government, or NGO: Maker) publishes an official survey or procedural Form.
  2. Reception: The user's AI Agent receives a notification in the Folio, analyzes the content, and presents a draft to the user.
  3. Completion: The AI Agent prepares a draft based on existing profiles in the Folio, which the user reviews and signs via Passkey.
  4. Submission: An encrypted package is delivered via Post to the recipient organization with minimal exposure.
  5. Auto-response: The recipient's Post performs automatic verification and immediately returns a receipt. The user's AI agent records the completion.

7. Conclusion: Freedom Beyond Platforms

The goal of the Web/A ecosystem is to move away from a world where one must log into a giant platform to perform even basic digital tasks.

By combining Web/A (the "container for trust"), the tools to handle it (Maker / Form), a place to own it (Folio), and a path to deliver it (Post), users can maintain absolute sovereignty while enjoying the freedom and intelligent automation of an interconnected world, powered by the AI of their choice.