> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://agenticintentprotocol.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# AIP Overview

> How the Agentic Intent Protocol works across AI platforms, operators, and brand agents, from participation and delegation to event tracking and settlement.

AIP defines one shared way for platforms, brand agents, and operators to govern commercial participation and settle outcomes.

***

## Core roles

AIP involves three main actors:

| Role            | Description                                                                                                                                    |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Platform**    | Any AI surface that detects user intent and requests commercial participation through an AIP Operator.                                         |
| **Brand Agent** | A commercial entity's agent that participates via recommendation or delegation when selected.                                                  |
| **Operator**    | Any entity that implements AIP  -  governs participation eligibility, runs selection, and verifies outcomes. AdMesh is the reference operator. |

Each AIP request moves through these three roles in a predictable flow.

***

## Core primitive: Participation

Participation is the act of a commercial entity being allowed to influence or execute a user's decision within an AI system.

AIP defines two types of participation:

| Type          | What happens                                                      | When used                           |
| ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| **Recommend** | Brand contributes to the AI response. No session transfer.        | Research, consideration, comparison |
| **Delegate**  | AI hands off the session to a brand agent. User completes a task. | Decision, action, transaction       |

This distinction is what separates AIP from traditional advertising. The protocol governs both influence and execution.

***

## Decision lifecycle

Below is the lifecycle of an AIP decision, from intent to settlement:

1. User expresses intent inside an AI conversation.
2. Platform sends anonymized context to the Operator using a PlatformRequest.
3. Operator evaluates participation eligibility.
4. If eligible, Operator runs selection (auction or rules).
5. Operator determines the interaction mode (recommend or delegate).
6. Selected brand agent participates  -  either contributing to the response or receiving a session handoff.
7. User interacts, completes a task, or does nothing.
8. Operator verifies the outcome and settles payment.

```
intent → eligibility → selection → (recommend OR delegate) → outcome → settlement
```

***

## Decision lifecycle events

AIP tracks four stages of a decision lifecycle.
Only the highest-value event in a lifecycle is billable per `serve_token`.

| Stage                   | Event                              | Meaning                                             |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Exposure shown**      | `exposure_shown` (CPX)             | A commercial response was surfaced to the user      |
| **Interaction started** | `interaction_started` (CPE or CPC) | User engaged with the recommendation                |
| **Delegation started**  | `delegation_started`               | Session handoff was initiated (delegate mode only)  |
| **Task completed**      | `task_completed` (CPA)             | User completed a signup, purchase, or other outcome |

A lower event upgrades to a higher one if it occurs.
No event is billed twice.

| Metric | Meaning             |
| ------ | ------------------- |
| `CPX`  | Cost per Exposure   |
| `CPE`  | Cost per Engagement |
| `CPC`  | Cost per Click      |
| `CPA`  | Cost per Action     |

***

## Verification and settlement

Every AIP event uses a `serve_token` that links all downstream actions.
The serve token is generated once per selection outcome and cannot be reused.
This guarantees:

* one verified charge per lifecycle
* no double billing
* consistent upgrade rules (task\_completed over interaction\_started over exposure\_shown)
* deterministic settlement through connected wallets

Settlements use signed ledger records that both platforms and brands can audit.

***

## Transparency and compliance

AIP is designed to be simple and verifiable:

* no personal identifiers required
* every event is signed
* works with any operator that supports the schema
* full audit trail is available to all parties
* the protocol is transport-agnostic and can coexist with other systems

***