Wire formats · JSON Schema 2020-12 · v0.1.1

Schemas

Six JSON Schemas define every document Kindling puts on the wire. Each table below is generated from the schema file itself, so it cannot drift from it.

Pool manifestpool_manifest.schema.json
Parsed profileparsed_profile.schema.json
Handshake messagehandshake_message.schema.json
Kindling messagekindling_message.schema.json
Well-known Pool filewell_known_pool.schema.json
Block listblock_list.schema.json

01Schema

pool_manifest.schema.json

Pool manifest

Raw file: pool_manifest.schema.json Spec: §3JSON Schema 2020-12 · PoolManifest

A Kindling Pool: a curated list of profile entries plus the metadata that defines its purpose, governance, and consent rules.

No fields beyond those listed are allowed at the top level.

Pool manifest · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`id`	No	string	Stable identifier for this Pool, typically a slug. Optional; generated from name if omitted.
`name`	Yes	string	Human-readable Pool name. At least 1 character.
`curator`	Yes	array of objects	One or more verified Kindling identities curating this Pool. At least 1 item.
`curator[].identity`	Yes	string	Curator's Kindling identity (email, OAuth-bound identifier, or fingerprint).
`curator[].display_name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`curator[].verification_level`	Yes	`email` · `oauth` · `cryptographic`	No description in the schema.
`curator[].primary`	No	boolean	True for the primary curator. At most one primary. Default: `false`.
`intent_tags`	Yes	array of strings	What the Pool is for. Free-form tags; common values: friendship, dating, professional, hiking, polyamorous-dating-la, neurodivergent-friendships. At least 1 item.
`visibility`	Yes	`public` · `unlisted` · `invite-only`	No description in the schema.
`consent_model`	Yes	`universal-opt-in` · `vouching-required` · `curator-only-adds`	Default: `"universal-opt-in"`.
`curator_contact`	Yes	string	How a profile owner can reach the curator about removal, complaints, disputes. Typically email or a contact-form URL.
`charter`	Yes	string	Free-text description of what the Pool is for and what it isn't. Required, plain text in v0.1. At least 20 characters.
`geographic_scope`	No	object	Optional. Used when a Pool is location-specific. No other fields.
`geographic_scope.city`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`geographic_scope.region`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`geographic_scope.country`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`geographic_scope.online`	No	boolean	No description in the schema.
`governance_rules`	No	string	Optional. How co-curators are added, how disputes are handled. Defaults to the protocol-level boilerplate when not specified.
`handshake_window_days`	No	integer	How many days a handshake request stays open before it expires (SPEC §5.2). A request's expires_at equals its sent_at plus this window. Added in v0.1.1. At least 1. Default: `14`.
`messaging_preferences`	No	object	Pool-level defaults that apply to all members unless their profile overrides. No other fields.
`messaging_preferences.block_list_subscriptions`	No	array of strings (uri)	No description in the schema.
`messaging_preferences.minimum_sender_verification`	No	`unverified` · `email` · `oauth`	No description in the schema.
`status`	No	`active` · `dormant` · `archived`	Pool lifecycle state. Dormant = curator inactive 90+ days; Archived = read-only after failed curator transition. Default: `"active"`.
`created_at`	No	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`updated_at`	No	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries`	Yes	array of objects	The list of profile entries in this Pool. An entry may not hold a parsed profile whose `kindling_noindex` is `true` (§2.7).
`entries[].profile_url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].parsed_profile`	No	a `parsed_profile` (see Parsed profile)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].parsed_at`	No	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].consent_proof`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`entries[].consent_proof.handshake_id`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`entries[].consent_proof.accepted_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].consent_proof.method`	No	`email-link` · `oauth` · `curator-vouching` · `auto-accept`	No description in the schema.
`entries[].verification_level`	Yes	`email` · `oauth` · `curator-vouched` · `cryptographic`	No description in the schema.
`entries[].added_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].added_by`	No	string	Curator identity of who added this entry.

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

02Schema

parsed_profile.schema.json

Parsed profile

Raw file: parsed_profile.schema.json Spec: §2JSON Schema 2020-12 · ParsedProfile

The structured representation of a Kindling profile, produced by parsing a freeform profile URL (with h-card baseline plus AI extraction).

No fields beyond those listed are allowed at the top level.

Parsed profile · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	The version of the parsed_profile schema this document conforms to.
`profile_url`	Yes	string (uri)	Canonical source URL the profile was parsed from.
`display_name`	Yes	string	Human-readable name as the owner presents themselves. At least 1 character.
`pronouns`	No	string	Pronouns the owner uses, free-form (e.g., 'she/her', 'they/them').
`location`	No	object	Where the owner lives or operates from. All fields optional. No other fields.
`location.city`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`location.region`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`location.country`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`location.remote`	No	boolean	True if the owner explicitly identifies as remote / location-independent.
`location.lat`	No	number	From -90 to 90.
`location.lon`	No	number	From -180 to 180.
`photo_hints`	No	array of strings (uri)	URLs to images on the source page. Kindling does not cache; implementations decide whether to cache locally.
`intent_tags`	No	array of strings	What the owner is open to (friendship, dating, networking, hiking buddies, co-founders, etc.).
`about`	No	string	Free-text 'about me' compressed from the source page. Plain text only at v0.1.
`contact_methods`	No	array of objects	Declared external contact methods.
`contact_methods[].type`	Yes	`email` · `twitter` · `bluesky` · `mastodon` · `instagram` · `linkedin` · `calendly` · `url` · `other`	No description in the schema.
`contact_methods[].value`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`contact_methods[].label`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`verification`	No	object	Identity verification level for this profile. No other fields.
`verification.level`	No	`unverified` · `email` · `oauth` · `curator-vouched` · `cryptographic`	The strongest verification this profile holds. 'cryptographic' is reserved for v0.2.
`verification.verified_at`	No	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`verification.verifier`	No	string	For OAuth: the provider (google, apple, etc.). For curator-vouched: the curator's identity.
`messaging_preferences`	No	object	Per-profile rules for incoming messages and handshakes. No other fields.
`messaging_preferences.accept_from`	No	`anyone` · `verified` · `shared-pool` · `vouched` · `none`	Default: `"verified"`.
`messaging_preferences.minimum_curator_verification`	No	`unverified` · `email` · `oauth`	No description in the schema.
`messaging_preferences.no_cold_messages`	No	boolean	Default: `false`.
`messaging_preferences.auto_accept_rules`	No	array of objects	At most 5 items.
`messaging_preferences.auto_accept_rules[].intent_tags`	Yes	array of strings	At least 1 item.
`messaging_preferences.auto_accept_rules[].minimum_curator_verification`	No	`email` · `oauth`	No description in the schema.
`messaging_preferences.auto_accept_rules[].allowed_visibility`	No	array of: `public` · `unlisted`	No description in the schema.
`kindling_noindex`	No	boolean	If true, this profile asks not to be included in any Pool. A Pool entry MUST NOT hold a parsed profile with this set (SPEC §2.7). Parsers record it so a Pool can detect it and refuse. Default: `false`.
`extraction_source`	No	object; each value one of: `h-card` · `inferred` · `owner-declared`	Where each field's value came from (SPEC §2.3): read from h-card markup, inferred from the rest of the page, or stated by the owner directly. Keys are field names of this document. A parser MUST fill this whenever it infers any field. Added in v0.1.1.
`parsed_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	ISO-8601 timestamp of when this parsed_profile was produced.
`parser`	No	string	Identifier of the parser implementation that produced this profile (e.g., 'kindling-parser/0.1.0').

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

03Schema

handshake_message.schema.json

Handshake message

Raw file: handshake_message.schema.json Spec: §5.2JSON Schema 2020-12 · HandshakeMessage

A consent handshake exchange between a Pool and a profile owner.

A handshake message is exactly one of two shapes: a request or a response. Neither allows fields beyond those listed.

HandshakeRequest · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`type`	Yes	`"handshake-request"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`handshake_id`	Yes	string	Unique identifier for this handshake exchange.
`pool`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`pool.url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`pool.name`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`pool.charter`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`pool.curator_identity`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`pool.curator_verification`	Yes	`email` · `oauth` · `cryptographic`	No description in the schema.
`pool.intent_tags`	Yes	array of strings	No description in the schema.
`pool.visibility`	Yes	`public` · `unlisted` · `invite-only`	No description in the schema.
`profile_url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`sent_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`expires_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`accept_url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`decline_url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.

HandshakeResponse · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`type`	Yes	`"handshake-response"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`handshake_id`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`decision`	Yes	`accept` · `decline`	No description in the schema.
`responded_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`responder_identity`	No	string	Verified identity of the profile owner responding.

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

04Schema

kindling_message.schema.json

Kindling message

Raw file: kindling_message.schema.json Spec: §6JSON Schema 2020-12 · KindlingMessage

A native Kindling message envelope. v0.1 transport is structured email under the hood.

No fields beyond those listed are allowed at the top level.

Kindling message · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`message_id`	Yes	string	Globally unique message identifier.
`type`	Yes	`handshake-request` · `handshake-response` · `intro` · `reply` · `withdrawal` · `system`	No description in the schema.
`in_reply_to`	No	string	If this message is a reply, the message_id it replies to.
`sender`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`sender.identity`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`sender.display_name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`sender.verification_level`	Yes	`unverified` · `email` · `oauth` · `curator-vouched` · `cryptographic`	No description in the schema.
`sender.profile_url`	No	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`recipient`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`recipient.identity`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`recipient.profile_url`	No	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`via_pool`	No	object	If the message was triggered through a Pool, the Pool's reference. No other fields.
`via_pool.url`	No	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`via_pool.id`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`via_pool.name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`sent_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`subject`	No	string	Optional human-facing subject line.
`body`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`body.content_type`	Yes	`text/plain` · `text/markdown`	No description in the schema.
`body.content`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`transport`	No	object	Transport-layer metadata. v0.1: email. No other fields.
`transport.type`	No	`email`	No description in the schema.
`transport.message_headers`	No	object of strings	No description in the schema.

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

05Schema

well_known_pool.schema.json

Well-known Pool file

Raw file: well_known_pool.schema.json Spec: §10JSON Schema 2020-12 · WellKnownKindlingPool

The discovery file published at /.well-known/kindling-pool by any domain hosting a Pool. Crawlers and registries fetch this to find Pools without a central authority.

No fields beyond those listed are allowed at the top level.

Well-known Pool file · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`pools`	Yes	array of objects	All Pools hosted on this domain that are discoverable.
`pools[].manifest_url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`pools[].name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`pools[].intent_tags`	No	array of strings	No description in the schema.
`pools[].visibility`	Yes	`public` · `unlisted` · `invite-only`	No description in the schema.
`pools[].status`	Yes	`active` · `dormant` · `archived`	No description in the schema.
`pools[].curator_contact`	No	string	How to reach the Pool's curator, as in its manifest. SHOULD be present (SPEC §10.2). Added in v0.1.1.
`pools[].geographic_scope`	No	object	No other fields.
`pools[].geographic_scope.city`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`pools[].geographic_scope.region`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`pools[].geographic_scope.country`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`pools[].geographic_scope.online`	No	boolean	No description in the schema.
`pools[].last_updated`	No	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`operator`	No	object	Optional metadata about the entity operating this discovery file. No other fields.
`operator.name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`operator.contact`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`operator.url`	No	string (uri)	No description in the schema.

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

06Schema

block_list.schema.json

Block list

Raw file: block_list.schema.json Spec: §7.3JSON Schema 2020-12 · KindlingBlockList

A signed shared block list. Implementations subscribe to one or more lists and filter senders / curators / Pools accordingly.

No fields beyond those listed are allowed at the top level.

Block list · every field
Field	Required	Type or values	About
`schema_version`	Yes	`"0.1"`, fixed	No description in the schema.
`list_id`	Yes	string	Globally unique identifier for this list, typically a URL-safe slug.
`name`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`description`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`publisher`	Yes	object	No other fields.
`publisher.identity`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`publisher.name`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`publisher.url`	Yes	string (uri)	No description in the schema.
`version`	Yes	integer	Monotonically increasing version. Implementations should pull updates. At least 1.
`published_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries`	Yes	array of objects	No description in the schema.
`entries[].target_type`	Yes	`identity` · `profile_url` · `pool_url` · `curator_identity` · `implementation`	No description in the schema.
`entries[].target_identifier`	Yes	string	No description in the schema.
`entries[].reason_category`	Yes	`spam` · `harassment` · `impersonation` · `consent_violation` · `scraping` · `other`	No description in the schema.
`entries[].reason_detail`	No	string	Optional human-readable explanation. Avoid PII; this list is public.
`entries[].added_at`	Yes	string (date-time)	No description in the schema.
`entries[].expires_at`	No	string (date-time)	Optional. If present, the entry should be ignored after this date.
`signature`	No	object	Optional cryptographic signature attesting to the list's integrity. Recommended for v0.2 onward. No other fields.
`signature.algorithm`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`signature.value`	No	string	No description in the schema.
`signature.key_url`	No	string (uri)	No description in the schema.

Required means required within its parent object. Field names in gray are the path to the parent.

07Resolved

Resolved in v0.1.1

Where the text and the schemas differed

The specification text and the six schemas were written together, and in thirteen places they said different things. All thirteen were resolved in v0.1.1 on October 1, 2026, an errata release: the text now agrees with the schemas, and the schemas gained the three optional fields that agreement needs. The tables above are generated from the v0.1.1 schema files.

Verification level names
Before. §4.5 named four levels: email-verified, oauth-verified, curator-vouched and unverified. The schemas use email, oauth, curator-vouched, unverified and cryptographic.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The wire values are the schemas’. The old names stay as display labels, in a table in §4.5, and cryptographic is reserved for v0.2. A Pool entry has no unverified, because accepting a handshake verifies email at minimum (§3.4).
Read §4.5
Extraction provenance
Before. §2.3 said a parsed profile’s extraction_source field carries which fields were h-card-derived and which were inferred, but the schema had no such field.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. parsed_profile gains an optional extraction_source: a field name mapped to h-card, inferred or owner-declared. Parsers MUST fill it when they infer anything.
Read §2.3
The handshake window
Before. §5.2 set a default window of 14 days, “configurable per Pool”, but the manifest had no field for it.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The manifest gains an optional handshake_window_days (default 14). A request’s expires_at MUST equal its sent_at plus the window.
Read §5.2
Message types
Before. §6.3 listed four message types. The schema allows six, adding withdrawal and system.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. §6.3 lists all six, and defines system as protocol notices: dormancy, curator transition and auto-accept.
Read §6.3
Noindex and privacy
Before. §2.7 kept a noindex Profile out of every Pool, but a parsed profile carrying kindling_noindex: true could sit in a Pool entry.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. §2.7 stays absolute: such a profile MUST NOT appear in any Pool entry, and the schema now rejects one. Parsers keep the field so a Pool can see it and refuse. Privacy inside a Pool comes from its visibility, and from v0.2’s profile visibility.
Read §2.7
Auto-accept and invite-only Pools
Before. The schema’s allowed_visibility holds only public or unlisted, so no rule can auto-accept into an invite-only Pool, and the text did not say so.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. Intended, and now said in §5.5: an invitation to an invite-only Pool is personal, so auto-accept never applies.
Read §5.5
The version field
Before. §12.1 said every document MUST carry kindling_version. All six schemas name it schema_version.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text adopts schema_version. Its value stays "0.1" through v0.1.x.
Read §12.1
The well-known file
Before. §10.2 listed pool_url and curator_contact; the schema calls the address manifest_url, requires only manifest_url, visibility and status, and had no curator_contact.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text adopts the schema, with operator optional. The schema gains an optional curator_contact, which the text makes SHOULD.
Read §10.2
The Pool reference in a message
Before. §6.2 named it pool_ref; the message schema calls it via_pool.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text adopts via_pool.
Read §6.2
What a Pool entry must hold
Before. §3.4 said each entry MUST contain parsed_profile and parsed_at; the schema leaves both optional and requires added_at.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text agrees with the schema: the two parse fields are SHOULD once the profile is parsed, and the validator warns instead of failing.
Read §3.4
Where a profile’s level sits
Before. §2.4 listed verification_level on a parsed profile; the schema nests it as verification.level.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text says verification.level.
Read §2.4
Messaging rule names
Before. §7.2 named open-to-all, pool-mates-only, vouched-only, no-cold-messages and minimum-sender-verification; the schemas have accept_from, no_cold_messages and a manifest-level minimum_sender_verification.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. The text adopts the schema’s names, with a table for the old ones. minimum_sender_verification is a Pool-level default.
Read §7.2
A signature on consent proofs
Before. RFC 0004 said the v0.1 schema includes a signature field for consent proofs. It does not.
Resolved in v0.1.1, October 1, 2026. RFC 0004 is corrected: the signature arrives with cryptographic identity, planned for v0.2, and consent_proof gains an optional signature object then.
Read §5.2

Schemas

Pool manifest

Parsed profile

Handshake message

Kindling message

Well-known Pool file

Block list

Where the text and the schemas differed

Verification level names

Extraction provenance

The handshake window

Message types

Noindex and privacy

Auto-accept and invite-only Pools

The version field

The well-known file

The Pool reference in a message

What a Pool entry must hold

Where a profile’s level sits

Messaging rule names

A signature on consent proofs