This folder contains the normative RFC documents that constitute the Beckn Protocol v2.0 specification. Each document is authored using the RFC template (NFH-011), reviewed by the Core Working Group, and published under the governance model defined in GOVERNANCE.md. Documents progress through the RFC lifecycle — Idea, Proposal, Protocol Draft, Protocol Standard — before becoming normative. All documents in this folder are at Protocol Standard status unless their metadata indicates otherwise.
The key words "MUST", "MUST NOT", "REQUIRED", "SHALL", "SHALL NOT", "SHOULD", "SHOULD NOT", "RECOMMENDED", "MAY", and "OPTIONAL" in this document are to be interpreted as described here. These definitions aim to ensure that the terms are understood precisely and consistently to avoid confusion in the interpretation of standards, specifications, and protocols.
Required reading before opening any issue, pull request, or discussion:
The documents in this specification are best read in the following sequence. Each document builds on the concepts established by those before it.
1. NFH-001 — Specification: Architecture, Design Philosophy and Principles Start here. Establishes the why behind Beckn Protocol v2 — the architectural philosophy, design constraints, and derived principles that govern every decision in the specification. Reading this first ensures the remainder of the specification is understood in the correct context.
2. NFH-002 — Keyword Definitions
Defines the normative interpretation of requirement-level keywords (MUST, SHOULD, MAY, etc.) used throughout all documents. Read before proceeding to any normative specification content.
3. NFH-006 — Beckn API Endpoints Defines the full endpoint surface for Beckn v2.0.0 — action and callback lifecycle semantics, common envelopes, and implementation constraints derived from the canonical OpenAPI contract.
4. NFH-013 — Beckn Communication Model
Defines how two Beckn nodes exchange messages: the asynchronous request–callback pattern, Ack/Nack semantics, how context.messageId correlates a callback to its originating request, how context.transactionId groups all messages in a business transaction, and how Provider Nodes may push unsolicited or repeated callbacks without the Consumer Node polling.
5. NFH-007 — Authentication and Trust Specifies the Ed25519-based authentication and non-repudiation model that secures every message leg between network participants. Read after the API document to understand what is being secured and how.
6. NFH-012 — Schema Design Guide Governs how Beckn schemas are designed, authored, published, and consumed. Establishes Agent-First Design — schemas authored with AI for AI agents — alongside Semantic Invariance, Unification over Standardization, and the abstraction → composition → extension → creation precedence.
7. NFH-010 — RFC Authoring Guide Process and governance guide for authoring, reviewing, and publishing RFC submissions. Read this before opening any Proposal Discussion or Pull Request.
8. NFH-011 — RFC Template The canonical template to be used when authoring a new RFC. Use in conjunction with NFH-010.
For a full publication summary including authors, dates, and status, see RFC_Publication_Summary.md.