Open protocol
HTTPK
A structured communication protocol that lets AI agents discover, evaluate, and transact with businesses. Built on HTTPS. No intermediary required.
The problem
Email was designed for humans. HTTP was designed for browsers. Neither was built for AI agents doing business.
When an agent needs to evaluate a vendor, it scrapes a website built for human eyes, parses marketing copy into structured data, and hopes the information is current.
The average enterprise B2B purchase involves 11 stakeholders and takes 6–12 months. Every step involves human latency.
Current B2B workflow
How HTTPK works
Every HTTPK-enabled business publishes a machine-readable discovery document. Agents read it, communicate via structured messages, and complete transactions over standard HTTPS.
Agent finds your business
Your business publishes a discovery document at /.well-known/httpk.json containing your catalog, capabilities, pricing models, and endpoints.
Structured data exchange
Buyer and seller agents exchange structured specifications, compliance requirements, and pricing — no forms, no demos, no waiting for human responses.
Automated terms
Agents propose terms, counter-offer within approved parameters, and reach agreement — all within defined policy boundaries. Humans set the rules; agents execute them.
Complete and verify
Orders are placed, contracts signed, delivery tracked — all through structured HTTPK messages with cryptographic verification at every step.
Compared to existing methods
| REST APIs | HTTPK | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | Manual search | Custom per vendor | Automatic |
| Data format | Unstructured | Varies | Standard schema |
| Speed | Days – months | Hours – days | Seconds – minutes |
| Identity | Trust-based | API keys | Cryptographic |
| Agent-native | No | Partial | Yes |
Integration
HTTPK runs on standard HTTPS infrastructure. If you have a web server, you can serve HTTPK. Publish your discovery document, define your catalog schema, and your business is agent-accessible.
- — Works with any web server (Nginx, Apache, Node, etc.)
- — Standard JSON — use any language
- — Open specification, no vendor lock-in
- — Compatible with existing REST APIs
- — Reference implementation available
Protocol properties
Signed messages
Every HTTPK message is cryptographically signed with Ed25519 keys. Verify sender identity without trusting intermediaries.
Structured schemas
Catalog items, quotes, and orders follow strict JSON schemas. No ambiguity — agents parse data correctly every time.
Version negotiation
Agents negotiate protocol version and capabilities automatically. Backwards-compatible by design.
Audit trail
Every exchange is logged with timestamps and signatures. Full traceability from discovery through fulfillment.
Make your business agent-accessible
The businesses that adopt HTTPK first will be the first ones AI agents find, evaluate, and buy from.
Get started