UAI-1 is the current public message standard for structured AI-to-AI communication.
UAIX shield mark Public interoperability charter UAIX.org Universal Artificial Intelligence Exchange Public standards publication
Current UAI-1
  • Current version UAI-1
  • Plain-English definition Open message format for auditable AI-to-AI exchange
  • Current attribution Michael Joseph Kappel, MCP
  • Start here Get Started, Project Handoff, UAI-1, validator, roadmap, and changelog

AI Memory

Every UAIX .uai Memory File, Explained

Public guide to UAIX .uai package files, closed required-file-set rules, required read order, detail pages, and machine-readable file digests.

  • Record UAIX-MEMR-2959
  • Path /en-us/ai-memory/uai-files/
  • Use Canonical public record

Document status

Public standards page Published on UAIX as part of the current public standards record
Code
UAIX-MEMR-2959
Surface
AI Memory
Access
Public and linkable

How to use this page

Use this guide to enforce the closed UAIX required-file-set model: universal required, profile-required, content-triggered required, configuration-specific required, or out of scope.

Package memory path

AI Memory Package WizardProject HandoffAgent File HandoffAGENTS.md Specification

Required File Sets

Every .uai file belongs to a declared package scope

Use this guide to keep package files in one of the closed UAIX states: universal required, profile-required, content-triggered required, configuration-specific required, or out of scope.

Universal

Five launch-baseline anchors travel first

identity.uai, world-context.uai, totem.uai, taboo.uai, and short-term-memory.uai are required for every launch-baseline UAIX memory or handoff package.

Profile

Declared package type controls the rest

Project Handoff, Agent File Handoff, Long-Term Memory, LLM Wiki, and release-bound packages each carry their own required file set.

No-code assistants

Coding standards stay out of scope until code-like work exists

.uai/coding-standards.uai is required for project/developer and code-bearing packages; it is out of scope for no-code assistant packages until code, automation, executable workflow, or code-like artifacts are declared or detected.

Package memory path

AI Memory Package WizardGenerate supported file sets from the canonical source rules.Project HandoffProject-startup package profile and read order.Agent File HandoffLocal file intake, disposition, archive, and proof-of-use path.AGENTS.md SpecificationFront-door project guidance and local memory discovery.
Core ruleClosed file states
universal required | profile-required | content-triggered required | configuration-specific required | out of scope

Validators and agents should rely only on files required for the declared package scope and ignore out-of-scope files as absent.

UAIX .uai files are structured memory and handoff records for agents and human reviewers. They make package state portable, inspectable, bounded, and reviewable across sessions, tools, and teams.

Closed required-file-set rule: every UAIX package file is universal required, profile-required, content-triggered required, configuration-specific required, or out of scope. UAIX does not describe package files with softer file-status terms.

What .uai Files Are

A .uai file is a typed record inside a package. It carries accepted context, boundaries, owner intent, handoff instructions, or evidence for a declared package scope. It is not magic memory, runtime execution, certification, proof of consciousness, or a substitute for human review.

File Taxonomy

Universal launch-baseline anchors

Project Handoff startup files

Active project memory files

Developer and release evidence files

  • .uai/test-plan.uai – Required for project/developer packages and release-bound packages
  • .uai/coding-standards.uai – Required for project/developer packages and packages that declare code, automation, executable workflow, or code-like artifacts
  • .uai/deployment-memory-and-test-report.uai – Required for release-bound deployment packages and production package builds
  • .uai/stack.uai – Required for project/developer packages that declare runtime, framework, hosting, or dependency stack
  • .uai/architecture.uai – Required for project/developer packages that declare architecture, modules, integrations, or code-bearing work

Developer and publication evidence files

  • .uai/style.uai – Required for project/developer packages that declare design, editorial, brand, or interface style

Long-memory and transfer files

Evidence and audit files

Master Matrix

File Category Required status Primary purpose Main reader Update frequency Human review requirement No-op trigger type Detail page
.uai/identity.uai Universal launch-baseline anchors Universal required file Names the package, owner, source authority, declared profiles, namespace, sensitivity boundary, and actor boundary. Receiving AI, human reviewer, package steward At package creation and whenever ownership, namespace, authority, sharing boundary, or declared profile changes. Required before first use and before any identity, ownership, authority, or namespace change. Missing owner, unclear source authority, namespace collision, unsupported declared profile, or contradictory identity. identity.uai
.uai/world-context.uai Universal launch-baseline anchors Universal required file Captures the current environment, workspace root, canonical locations, external systems, time boundary, and routing context. Receiving AI and operators moving between workspaces or deployments Whenever workspace paths, deployment targets, ecosystem roles, active sites, or operating assumptions change. Required when the file changes project ownership, canonical paths, deployment posture, or public ecosystem claims. Ambiguous workspace, stale production target, missing canonical root, or conflict with local AGENTS.md guidance. world-context.uai
.uai/totem.uai Universal launch-baseline anchors Universal required file States the positive identity, mission, virtues, and chartered direction the package asks agents to preserve. Receiving AI, human reviewer, governance steward Only when a human owner revises durable positive mission or role identity. Required for every change because the file anchors identity and role continuity. Missing totem, stale mission, contradictory role identity, or unreviewed charter change. totem.uai
.uai/taboo.uai Universal launch-baseline anchors Universal required file Records hard boundaries, role-protection rules, no-op triggers, and refusal paths that preserve charter integrity. Receiving AI, human reviewer, governance steward Only when a human owner revises durable boundaries or no-op rules. Required for every change because the file controls boundary behavior. Missing taboo, boundary conflict, unreviewed constraint change, or request that crosses a declared no-op trigger. taboo.uai
.uai/short-term-memory.uai Universal launch-baseline anchors Universal required file Carries the current compact working state, newest decisions, active blockers, and next-read pointers. Next AI session and human reviewer After meaningful work, handoff, deployment, intake processing, or context compaction. Required when it changes current truth, blockers, deployment state, or next-agent instructions. Conflicts with durable records, stale active task, missing newest blocker, or unclear next step. short-term-memory.uai
.uai/startup-packet.uai Project Handoff startup files Required for Project Handoff packages Gives the receiving agent a bounded startup sequence, required read order, goals, budgets, and first safe actions. Receiving AI starting a project handoff Before each Project Handoff package is issued and after startup instructions change. Required before handoff because it shapes the first operating pass. Missing startup order, budget conflict, unsupported goal, or unsafe first action. startup-packet.uai
.uai/system-profile.uai Project Handoff startup files Required for Project Handoff packages Summarizes platform, repository, runtime, package family, capability, and tool expectations for the receiving agent. Receiving AI and implementation reviewer When platform, runtime, tools, repository layout, or package family changes. Required when it changes available capability, runtime assumption, deployment path, or tool boundary. Runtime mismatch, missing tool boundary, unsupported capability, or stale platform description. system-profile.uai
.uai/receiver-brief.uai Project Handoff startup files Required for Project Handoff packages Tells the next agent exactly what it is receiving, what is expected, what is blocked, and where to report back. Receiving AI and handoff reviewer At each handoff boundary and after blocker, owner, or deliverable changes. Required before cross-agent or cross-session transfer. Ambiguous receiver, stale blocker, unclear deliverable, or missing evidence route. receiver-brief.uai
.uai/context.uai Active project memory files Required for Project Handoff packages and project/developer packages Holds accepted project context, definitions, domain facts, constraints already reviewed, and current operating assumptions. Receiving AI and project reviewer After reviewed facts change or new accepted context becomes necessary for future work. Required for facts that affect public claims, ownership, architecture, security, legal posture, or user commitments. Unreviewed context, stale domain fact, source conflict, or contradiction with world-context.uai. context.uai
.uai/constraints.uai Active project memory files Required for Project Handoff packages and project/developer packages Records hard technical, legal, product, workflow, deployment, and editing constraints for the package scope. Receiving AI, developer, reviewer Whenever a constraint is added, retired, tightened, or replaced by a stronger local rule. Required when a constraint changes safety, deployment, data handling, versioning, or public claims. Constraint conflict, missing deployment rule, stale authority, or task requiring a forbidden action. constraints.uai
.uai/progress.uai Active project memory files Required for Project Handoff packages and project/developer packages Tracks what has been completed, what remains, what was verified, and what changed since the last handoff. Receiving AI and project reviewer After each meaningful work segment, test pass, blocker resolution, or release preparation step. Required when progress changes deployment readiness, release status, or handoff scope. Progress conflict, unverified claimed completion, missing test evidence, or stale blocker status. progress.uai
.uai/operations.uai Active project memory files Required for Project Handoff packages and project/developer packages Captures recurring operational commands, local services, deployment flows, maintenance paths, and environment checks. Receiving AI and operator When commands, ports, service names, local tooling, deployment flows, or maintenance routines change. Required for production-affecting operations, credentials posture, deploy paths, or destructive maintenance rules. Unknown command scope, stale service path, unsafe operation, or missing deployment checklist. operations.uai
.uai/test-plan.uai Developer and release evidence files Required for project/developer packages and release-bound packages Defines validation commands, manual QA gates, coverage expectations, known blockers, and release-readiness checks. Developer agent, reviewer, release owner Whenever code, tests, packaging, deployment, public routes, or QA expectations change. Required before release-bound handoff or production package build. Missing validation path, stale test command, unreviewed failed check, or release without evidence. test-plan.uai
.uai/coding-standards.uai Developer and release evidence files Required for project/developer packages and packages that declare code, automation, executable workflow, or code-like artifacts States coding style, architecture discipline, error-handling rules, testing expectations, and review quality bars for code-bearing work. Developer agent and code reviewer When architecture rules, language style, test policy, review standards, or code-bearing scope changes. Required before code-bearing packages rely on it for review or implementation. Missing code rules for code-bearing work, conflict with repository standards, or attempt to apply it to a no-code assistant package before code-like artifacts are declared or detected. coding-standards.uai
.uai/decisions.uai Active project memory files Required for Project Handoff packages and Decision Memory packages Records accepted decisions, their reasons, date, evidence, owner, and replacement path. Receiving AI, reviewer, decision owner When a durable decision is accepted, replaced, reversed, or proven stale. Required for product, architecture, public claim, security, deployment, or governance decisions. Contradictory decision, missing owner, missing evidence, or stale decision that still controls work. decisions.uai
.uai/memory.uai Long-memory and transfer files Required for AI Memory packages Provides compact accepted memory that is broader than the current task and narrower than full archives. Receiving AI and memory reviewer After durable reviewed facts are promoted from work notes or archives into current AI Memory. Required before promotion from raw notes, chat, generated summaries, or external records. Unreviewed memory, stale fact, unsupported source, or memory conflict with current constraints. memory.uai
.uai/long-term-memory.uai Long-memory and transfer files Required for Long-Term Memory packages Points to durable wiki, archive, graph, evidence, and preservation systems without treating all stored history as current truth. Receiving AI, memory steward, archival reviewer When durable memory systems, promotion rules, archive paths, or evidence stewardship changes. Required for memory promotion, retention changes, and source-of-truth updates. Unreviewed archive treated as current truth, missing steward, stale memory pointer, or unsupported source. long-term-memory.uai
.uai/file-handoff.uai Long-memory and transfer files Required for Agent File Handoff packages Defines active intake buckets, review order, disposition rules, archive movement, and proof-of-use expectations for dropped files. Receiving AI, intake reviewer, project owner When intake buckets, archive rules, source trust, or disposition workflow changes. Required for trust-boundary changes, evidence retirement, source movement, or intake-policy changes. Unreviewed dropped file, unclear disposition, unsafe path, missing archive action, or missing proof-of-use. file-handoff.uai
.uai/intake-outcome-ledger.uai Evidence and audit files Required for Agent File Handoff packages that declare intake outcome evidence Preserves disposition, action taken, source impact, memory impact, checks, blockers, and archive result for each intake file. Intake reviewer, receiving AI, audit reviewer Every time an active intake file is processed, retained active, archived, or retired. Required when intake changes source behavior, durable memory, public claims, or release evidence. Missing disposition, unprocessed active file, source-impact gap, memory-impact gap, or archive mismatch. intake-outcome-ledger.uai
.uai/overview.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages Gives a compact map of the project purpose, boundaries, active modules, public surface, and reader starting points. Receiving AI and project reviewer When scope, modules, public surface, or reader entry points change. Required when it affects external understanding, project scope, or deployment path. Scope conflict, stale module map, missing active surface, or mismatch with identity.uai. overview.uai
.uai/current-state.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages States the latest known build, deployment, tests, blockers, dirty-worktree posture, and operational status. Receiving AI, operator, reviewer After each test run, deployment, blocker change, release preparation step, or meaningful status change. Required when it changes readiness, incident status, deployment record, or handoff expectations. Stale status, missing deployment record, unresolved blocker, or unverified ready claim. current-state.uai
.uai/open-questions.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages that carry unresolved decisions, risks, or owner questions Collects unresolved questions with owner, impact, deadline, evidence needs, and current safe assumption. Receiving AI, owner, reviewer When a question is opened, answered, deferred, escalated, or converted into a decision. Required before a major decision, release, or handoff depends on an unresolved assumption. Blocking question without owner, unsafe assumption, stale unresolved item, or missing escalation path. open-questions.uai
.uai/next-actions.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages Lists ordered next actions with scope, owner, evidence path, acceptance condition, and blocker state. Receiving AI and project owner At handoff, after major work completion, and whenever priority or blocker state changes. Required when actions affect deployment, release, user-facing behavior, or owner commitments. Ambiguous next action, missing acceptance condition, contradictory priority, or blocker without escalation. next-actions.uai
.uai/risk-register.uai Evidence and audit files Required for project/developer packages that carry security, privacy, deployment, legal, product, or reliability risk Records risks, severity, owner, mitigation, evidence, trigger, and current decision posture. Reviewer, owner, receiving AI When risk status, severity, mitigation, owner, or evidence changes. Required for high-impact risks and before releases that alter risk posture. Unowned risk, stale mitigation, unknown severity, or release with unresolved high-impact risk. risk-register.uai
.uai/owners.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages with named owners, reviewers, or approval roles Maps project owners, reviewers, stewards, escalation contacts, authority limits, and approval responsibilities. Receiving AI, reviewer, project owner When ownership, reviewer duty, approval path, or escalation authority changes. Required for every authority or owner change. Missing owner, unclear approval role, conflicting authority, or unreviewed handoff of responsibility. owners.uai
.uai/agent-instructions.uai Active project memory files Required for project/developer packages that declare agent-specific operating instructions Gives role-specific agent instructions that do not belong in global identity, totem, taboo, or coding rules. Receiving AI and instruction reviewer When role-specific instructions, tool order, collaboration style, or escalation behavior changes. Required for instructions that change authority, safety, public claims, deployment, or user-facing behavior. Instruction conflict, hidden authority change, stale tool order, or contradiction with taboo.uai. agent-instructions.uai
.uai/changelog.uai Evidence and audit files Required for project/developer packages and release-bound packages Records dated package-memory changes, version-affecting edits, public-surface changes, and reviewer-relevant deltas. Receiving AI, release reviewer, owner Whenever package memory, release posture, public routes, generated exports, or significant source behavior changes. Required before release-bound work relies on the changelog. Unrecorded source change, missing date, version mismatch, or release evidence without matching change trail. changelog.uai
.uai/deployment-memory-and-test-report.uai Developer and release evidence files Required for release-bound deployment packages and production package builds Keeps build inputs, version authority, tests, checksums, deployment steps, blockers, and post-deploy verification together. Release owner, receiving AI, deployment reviewer During build preparation, package creation, deployment, and post-deploy verification. Required before production deployment and after live verification. Missing checklist, version mismatch, failed readiness check, stale checksum, or unverified live route. deployment-memory-and-test-report.uai
.uai/stack.uai Developer and release evidence files Required for project/developer packages that declare runtime, framework, hosting, or dependency stack Documents runtime versions, frameworks, plugins, dependencies, hosting assumptions, service boundaries, and integration shape. Developer agent, reviewer, operator When runtimes, dependencies, hosting, plugins, frameworks, or integration boundaries change. Required before dependency, hosting, or runtime changes drive implementation or deployment. Unknown dependency, stale runtime, missing host boundary, or tool action against the wrong stack. stack.uai
.uai/architecture.uai Developer and release evidence files Required for project/developer packages that declare architecture, modules, integrations, or code-bearing work Explains system boundaries, modules, data flow, integration seams, ownership, and architecture constraints for implementation work. Developer agent, reviewer, architect When modules, flows, APIs, data ownership, or architecture rules change. Required before major structural changes, integration changes, or cross-module refactors. Architecture conflict, missing owner, unclear boundary, or implementation that bypasses declared structure. architecture.uai
.uai/style.uai Developer and publication evidence files Required for project/developer packages that declare design, editorial, brand, or interface style Documents visual, editorial, interaction, brand, and voice rules for work that changes published or user-facing surfaces. Designer, writer, developer agent, reviewer When visual system, editorial voice, brand rule, interface convention, or content style changes. Required before public-facing design or editorial changes rely on it. Style conflict, stale brand rule, unsupported public tone, or UI change that violates declared style. style.uai

Required-Set Decision Path

  1. Start with the universal launch-baseline set: .uai/identity.uai, .uai/world-context.uai, .uai/totem.uai, .uai/taboo.uai, and .uai/short-term-memory.uai.
  2. Declare the package profile: Agent File Handoff, Agent File Intake, Long-Term Memory, LLM Wiki, Project Handoff, no-code assistant, project/developer, release-bound, or another published profile.
  3. Add every file required for that declared profile, mode, package type, or capability.
  4. Add every content-triggered required file for declared or detected content such as code, automation, executable workflow, release evidence, owner authority, risk, or intake outcome evidence.
  5. Keep every other file out of scope for that package. Out-of-scope files are not advertised as present and are not relied on by validator output.

Required Read Order

  1. Read AGENTS.md or .uai/readme.human when present as the package entry record.
  2. Read .uai/identity.uai.
  3. Read .uai/world-context.uai.
  4. Read .uai/totem.uai.
  5. Read .uai/taboo.uai.
  6. Read .uai/short-term-memory.uai.
  7. For Project Handoff packages, read .uai/startup-packet.uai, .uai/system-profile.uai, and .uai/receiver-brief.uai.
  8. For packages that declare machine exports, read .uai/exports/manifest.json and llms.txt.
  9. Read every profile-required and content-triggered required file for the declared package scope.
  10. Read long-memory pointers only after compact current memory and boundaries are clear.

Cross-References

Machine-Readable Digest

Agents should treat this digest as page-orientation evidence, not runtime authority.