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HCS-14 Profile Registry

This document defines the official Profile Registry for the HCS-14 Universal Agent ID Standard.

HCS-14 core specifies identifier structure, canonicalization, and deterministic generation rules. Profiles extend HCS-14 by defining optional, integration-specific mechanisms for discovery, resolution, and verification.

The registry exists to:

  • enable multiple discovery and verification mechanisms to coexist;
  • prevent the core standard from privileging any single protocol or ecosystem;
  • provide a transparent lifecycle and status model for extensions; and
  • give implementers a stable reference for supported profiles.

This registry is normative with respect to profile identifiers and status definitions. Individual profile specifications are normative only for implementations that claim support for them.

1. Profile Status DefinitionsDirect link to 1. Profile Status Definitions​

Each profile MUST declare one of the following statuses.

ExperimentalDirect link to Experimental​

  • Early draft or exploratory profile.
  • MAY change without backward-compatibility guarantees.
  • Suitable for prototyping and early adoption only.

DraftDirect link to Draft​

  • Feature-complete and stable enough for multiple implementations.
  • Backward-incompatible changes SHOULD be avoided.
  • Security considerations SHOULD be documented.
  • Meets objective maturity criteria:
    • at least two independent implementations;
    • published test vectors or interoperability tests;
    • documented security review.
  • Safe default choice for general implementations.

DeprecatedDirect link to Deprecated​

  • Retained for backward compatibility.
  • SHOULD NOT be used for new implementations.
  • MAY be removed in a future major revision of HCS-14.

2. Profile Identification and VersioningDirect link to 2. Profile Identification and Versioning​

Each profile MUST define:

  • Profile ID A stable, globally unique identifier. Recommended format:

hcs-14.profile.<short-name>

  • Version Semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH).

  • Applies to The UAID target(s) covered by the profile (e.g., uaid:aid:*, uaid:did:*).

Versioning rulesDirect link to Versioning rules​

  • Changes that break compatibility MUST increment the major version.
  • Minor versions MUST remain backward compatible within the same major version.
  • Patch versions MUST contain only clarifications or non-behavioral fixes.

3. Conformance and ClaimsDirect link to 3. Conformance and Claims​

Implementations MAY support zero or more profiles.

If an implementation claims support for a profile:

  • it MUST implement all normative requirements in that profile;
  • it MUST use the correct Profile ID and version when advertising support; and
  • it MUST NOT partially implement a profile while claiming full conformance.

HCS-14 core does not require support for any specific profile.

4. Registered ProfilesDirect link to 4. Registered Profiles​

The following profiles are currently registered.

4.1 UAID DID Resolution ProfileDirect link to 4.1 UAID DID Resolution Profile​

  • Profile ID: hcs-14.profile.uaid-did-resolution
  • Status: Experimental
  • Version: 0.1.0
  • Applies to: uaid:did:*
  • Specification: uaid-did-resolution.md

Summary: Defines a protocol-neutral resolution and output contract for UAIDs that target an existing W3C DID. Relies entirely on the underlying DID method’s resolution and verification rules and introduces no new cryptographic assumptions.

4.2 AID Resolution via Web & DNS ProfileDirect link to 4.2 AID Resolution via Web & DNS Profile​

  • Profile ID: hcs-14.profile.aid-dns-web
  • Status: Experimental
  • Version: 0.1.0
  • Applies to: uaid:aid:* where nativeId is an FQDN
  • Specification: aid-dns-web.md

Summary: Defines discovery of deterministic AID-based UAIDs via DNS TXT records (_agent.<domain>) with optional cryptographic verification using the AID Public Key Authentication (PKA) handshake. Includes explicit fallback behavior to protocol-native discovery when DNS records are absent.

4.3 UAID Resolution via _uaid DNS TXT ProfileDirect link to 43-uaid-resolution-via-_uaid-dns-txt-profile​

  • Profile ID: hcs-14.profile.uaid-dns-web
  • Status: Experimental
  • Version: 0.1.0
  • Applies to: uaid:aid:* and uaid:did:* where nativeId is an FQDN
  • Specification: uaid-dns-web.md

Summary: Defines DNS TXT discovery at _uaid.<nativeId> where the record directly carries HCS-14 identifier components and routing parameters. Resolvers reconstruct and match UAID deterministically, then optionally continue to full profile-specific resolution.

5. Adding New ProfilesDirect link to 5. Adding New Profiles​

New profiles MAY be added through the HCS improvement or specification process.

A new profile submission SHOULD include:

  • a unique Profile ID;
  • a clearly scoped applicability statement;
  • normative discovery and/or verification rules;
  • security considerations;
  • at least one illustrative example or test vector.

Profiles SHOULD be designed to:

  • avoid assumptions about global precedence;
  • operate independently of other profiles; and
  • degrade gracefully when unsupported.

6. Neutrality and Non-EndorsementDirect link to 6. Neutrality and Non-Endorsement​

Inclusion in this registry does not imply endorsement of any protocol, registry, or ecosystem.

The registry:

  • does not rank profiles;
  • does not mandate default selection;
  • does not require resolvers to prefer one profile over another.

Resolver policy, profile selection, and precedence are implementation-defined unless explicitly stated within a profile.

7. Change LogDirect link to 7. Change Log​

  • 0.1.0 — Initial registry with UAID DID Resolution and AID Web/DNS profiles.
  • 0.2.0 — Added UAID DNS TXT profile (hcs-14.profile.uaid-dns-web).

8. References (Informative)Direct link to 8. References (Informative)​

  • HCS-14 Universal Agent ID Standard (core)
  • W3C Decentralized Identifier (DID) Core
  • RFC 2119: Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels