Revision History

  • 2025-12-26: Initial Draft
  • 2025-12-29: Added confidentiality protection via Layer 2 Encryption (L2E)

1. The SaaS Gap

SaaS is optimal for daily, fixed-member workflows, but it struggles in cases like annual submissions or surveys targeting many organizations. In those cases, the cost of account provisioning and identity management outweighs the value of digitization.

Typical pain points:

  • Unknown recipients: The sender does not know the right person to issue accounts to.
  • Team collaboration: One form requires multiple internal roles. Shared accounts are risky; issuing many accounts is costly.
  • Low frequency: Paying subscriptions for once-a-year documents is hard to justify.

Web/A Form targets this "SaaS air pocket" by treating the form itself as the application.

2. What is Web/A Form?

Web/A Form is a single-file HTML form generated from Markdown. It runs offline in any browser and embeds JSON-LD for machine-readable data extraction.

2.1 Workflow

  1. Distribute: Generate HTML from Markdown and send it by email or URL.
  2. Circulate & Input: The file can be passed between colleagues without accounts.
  3. Freeze & Bake: Input values are baked into the HTML to create a static record.
  4. Submit: The final HTML is sent back as the official submission.

2.2 Optional Layer 2 Encryption (L2E)

Web/A Form can optionally encrypt the Layer 2 payload (user answers) before submission. This aligns with the Discussion Paper: Web/A Layer 2 Encryption and keeps plaintext answers local to the form while producing a sealed envelope for recipients who hold the decryption keys.

Design intent:

  • Preserve the file-first workflow while enabling confidentiality for sensitive fields.
  • Bind ciphertext to the specific Layer 1 template (preventing cut-and-paste between forms).
  • Keep encryption optional so existing deployments remain valid.

Operator flow:

  1. The issuer distributes a form with a recipient encryption public key (X25519, optional ML-KEM-768).
  2. The user fills the form as usual.
  3. If “Encrypt L2” is enabled, the form produces a Layer2Encrypted envelope instead of plaintext L2.
  4. The issuer decrypts the envelope offline using the recipient private key.

PQC (optional):

  • Add l2_recipient_pqc (ML-KEM-768 public key) in frontmatter to switch to hybrid mode.
  • CLI keys can be generated with bun src/bin/weba-l2-crypto.ts gen-keys --pqc.
  • Aggregator keys may include recipient_pqc_kem and recipient_pqc_private for batch decryption.

Decryption modes:

  • Passkey unlock (individual): recipient private key is wrapped by a Passkey; decryption happens in-browser with a single unlock action.
  • Aggregator escrow (organization): a temporary recipient keypair is generated per form or campaign and the private key is pre-installed in the aggregator for batch decryption. This trades strict individual-only access for operational continuity.
  • Issuers can enable either mode, or both, based on risk tolerance and workflow needs.

Envelope binding: Associated Data (AAD) includes layer1_ref, recipient, and weba_version, so tampering with these values breaks decryption.

{
  "layer1_ref": "sha256:...",
  "recipient": "issuer#kem-2025",
  "weba_version": "0.1"
}

2.3 Maker

Markdown-based syntax lets anyone build forms with validation, calculations, and dynamic tables without dedicated software.

2.3 AI-Assisted Migration from Excel

Excel-based forms can be migrated with a MarkItDown → LLM workflow:

  1. Convert Excel to Markdown.
  2. Ask an LLM to map the Markdown into Web/A Form syntax.
  3. Let the LLM propose formulas and required-field logic.

This minimizes manual re-design while preserving existing workflows.

Practical prompt: Form conversion

Convert the Markdown table below into Web/A Form syntax using the rules listed.

Web/A Syntax rules:

  1. Inputs use [type:key (attrs)].
    • Text: [text:user_name (label="Name")]
    • Number: [number:amount (placeholder="0")]
    • Date: [date:entry_date]
  2. Calculations use calc.
    • Example: [calc:subtotal (formula="price * quantity")]
    • Sum: [calc:total (formula="SUM(subtotal)")]
  3. Keep the original table structure and headers.

Markdown to convert: (paste markitdown output here)

3. Core Values

3.1 Zero Admin

No accounts or passwords. The file itself is the access token.

3.2 Machine-Readable First

No “visual data silos.” JSON-LD sits inside the form, enabling deterministic extraction.

3.3 Logic Embedded

Excel-like usability is achieved with standard Web tech:

  • Auto calculations
  • Dynamic rows
  • Master data lookups

4. Fit by Use Case

Feature Web/A Form SaaS (Fixed Ops) Survey Tools
Best fit Low-frequency, multi-org Daily internal ops Consumer surveys
Account mgmt None (file-based) Required None (no drafts)
Collaboration File relay Role-based Single-user
Cost One-time Subscription Per-response
Data model JSON-LD Proprietary DB CSV

5. Collection & Aggregation

5.1 Local Batch (Small scale)

Read HTML files and extract JSON-LD into CSV/Excel with a short script.

5.2 Drop Zone (Mid scale)

Users upload their HTML; the server extracts JSON-LD immediately. Since Web/A only outputs validated data, server-side checks are simplified.

5.3 AI Agents (Large scale)

Agents can parse HTML + JSON-LD to automate aggregation without custom API bindings.

Practical prompt: Autonomous aggregation "Read all HTML files in this folder (Web/A Forms). Parse each <script type="application/ld+json"> block and extract common fields (especially submissionDate, orgName, totalAmount). Output a single table."

6. Constraints

6.1 Drafts are Device-Local

Draft state is stored in browser local storage. To move work between devices, use “Save Draft” to export HTML.

6.2 File Size

Single-file design can grow large. For large attachments, use a drop zone instead of email.

7. Conclusion

Web/A Form is not a universal replacement for SaaS. It is a file-first alternative optimized for low-frequency, multi-organization workflows where account management is the dominant cost.

It preserves the simplicity of “just send a file” while guaranteeing machine-readable data and consistent validation.