Version Policy
The AXAG standard, Semantic Manifests, and generated tools all follow semantic versioning with clear policies for backward compatibility and migration.
Versioning Scheme
MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH[-PRERELEASE]
- MAJOR: Breaking changes to required fields or fundamental semantics
- MINOR: New optional fields, new conformance rules, new lint rules
- PATCH: Documentation fixes, typo corrections, schema bug fixes
- PRERELEASE: Draft versions (e.g.,
0.1.0-draft)
Current Version
The current AXAG specification version is 0.1.0-draft.
Version Lifecycle
| Phase | Duration | Guarantees |
|---|---|---|
| Draft | Until community review complete | No stability guarantees |
| Release Candidate | 2–4 weeks | No new features, bug fixes only |
| Stable | Indefinite | Backward-compatible within major version |
| Maintained | Until next major version + 12 months | Security fixes only |
| Deprecated | 12 months from deprecation notice | No changes, migration guide available |
| Retired | After deprecation period | Removed from documentation |
Manifest Versioning
Each Semantic Manifest includes a version field:
{
"version": "0.1.0-draft",
"entities": ["product", "cart", "order"]
}
Agents MUST check the manifest version and verify they support it before consuming the manifest.
Backward Compatibility Rules
Within a Minor Version
- New optional fields MAY be added
- Existing fields MUST NOT be removed
- Existing field semantics MUST NOT change
- New enum values MAY be added to existing enums
- New lint rules MAY be added as warnings
Across Major Versions
- Fields MAY be removed (with 12-month deprecation notice)
- Field semantics MAY change
- Required fields MAY be added
- Enum values MAY be removed
- Migration guide MUST be provided