Reader guide
Read the Specification Root when you need to understand how the standards system is organized before choosing a role standard or a specific artifact type.
- Use this when
- You need the root contract for the standards hierarchy, or you need to confirm how versioned role standards are expected to publish.
- What it controls
- The Document Role branch of the hierarchy: publication structure for role standards and the relationship between role standards, the shared Artifact Specification, and Artifact Definitions.
- What it does not do
- It does not tell you whether your artifact is Data, Template, or Process, and it does not define a specific artifact type.
- Read next
- Move to Document Roles to choose Data, Template, or Process. Then read the Artifact Specification and the specific Artifact Definition you need.
The Specification Root is the topmost canonical node in the Cuddler specification hierarchy. It anchors the publication contract with which Document Roles comply and gives the hierarchy one stable root for validation, review, and implementation.
Overview
The Specification Root is the topmost canonical node for the Cuddler standards system.
In practice, it tells you how the other standards fit together. Document Roles comply with this root, the shared Artifact Specification separately governs how public Artifact Definitions are authored, Artifact Definitions comply with both their governing Document Role and the shared Artifact Specification, and Artifact Documents are the implemented outputs that follow those contracts.
Why it matters
The Specification Root prevents every lower-level standard from having to redefine the overall model. It gives Cuddler one visible starting point for review, validation, publication, and implementation.
That matters for humans because it makes the hierarchy easier to understand, and it matters for agents because it gives them one stable top-level source to anchor the rest of the contract.
Related public materials
AI implementation notes
- Treat the Specification Root as the topmost canonical node for the public specification hierarchy and as the root contract for published Document Roles.
- Use the canonical JSON artifact when validating published Document Role documents.
- Use the governing Document Role and the shared Cuddler Artifact Specification together when authoring or validating a public Artifact Definition.
Canonical standard text
The section below is the full normative publication rendered directly from the canonical repository source. Use it for exact wording, implementation details, and citation.
