A Shared Language
“We restored a wetland” and “we reviewed that restoration” are different contributions to the same story. Hypercerts gives each a recognizable form so an application can tell them apart and connect them.
Without a shared language, the same information is collected again and again. Data about projects and organizations sits in separate directories, surveys, certifications, and portfolios that don't talk to each other, so every new program asks the same questions. Networks of funders, researchers, and support organizations are increasingly working to harmonize the data they collect, because common formats let what one organization collects be reused by the next. A shared language lets independent services work together while each keeps its own purpose, and each record keeps the name of whoever issued it.
That shared language starts with the work and grows as more people contribute.
From an activity to a fuller picture#
An activity claim, also called a hypercert, describes a piece of work. It gives other records something specific to refer to. A project can bring several activities together, while evidence and evaluations help others understand what happened and why it matters.
| Question | Building block |
|---|---|
| What work is being done, and by whom? | An activity claim, with contributor details |
| How does it fit into a larger effort? | A project, which groups related activities |
| What can we look at or measure? | Attachments and measurements |
| What do others think of the work? | Evaluations |
| Who recognizes or confirms a relationship? | Badges, responses, and acknowledgements |
| What support has the work received? | Funding receipts |
Imagine a community energy project. Installing solar panels is one activity. A report describes the installation, a measurement records energy production, and a specialist evaluates the results. A funder can read those pieces together before deciding whether to support the next phase.
These are separate records, not sections everyone edits in a single document. Each can be published by the person or organization contributing that information. Links between them let an application bring the story together.
Formats and meaning work together#
The Lexicons describe the fields software reads and writes. The Guide explains what those records mean and how to use them together.
For example, a project uses a grouping record called a collection. Applications agree to recognize a collection marked as a project. That small shared convention lets a project dashboard and a funding platform recognize the same grouping.
You'll also encounter Certified, the identity service operated by the Hypercerts Foundation. It lets people and organizations sign in to Hypercerts applications with an AT Protocol account, including with just an email address. Its shared schemas describe things such as profiles, organizations, locations, and badges, and other applications can use them too.
You don't need to learn every schema before you begin. Start with the records that answer your users' questions. The next pages introduce the main building blocks individually; the Lexicon inventory is there when you want the complete list.
Next: Activity Claims, the starting point for describing the work.