{
  "dataset": "protocols",
  "record": {
    "id": "nlweb",
    "name": "NLWeb",
    "full_name": "Natural Language Web",
    "layer": "discovery",
    "creator": "Microsoft (R.V. Guha)",
    "status": "emerging",
    "year": 2025,
    "one_liner": "Turns a website into a conversational, queryable endpoint by combining Schema.org data, a vector store and an LLM — and every NLWeb endpoint is also an MCP server.",
    "spec_url": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
    "snippet": "POST /ask  { \"query\": \"...\" } → grounded natural-language answer + structured sources",
    "abbreviation": "NLWeb",
    "also_known_as": [
      "Natural Language Web"
    ],
    "canonical_spec_url": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
    "entity_uri": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
    "taxonomy_layer": "discovery",
    "sub_layer": "conversational-endpoint",
    "protocol_type": "declaration",
    "central_problem": "Turns a website into a conversational, queryable endpoint so agents can ask natural-language questions and get grounded, source-backed answers.",
    "maintainer": "Microsoft (project led by R.V. Guha) + community (nlweb-ai/NLWeb)",
    "governance_body": "vendor (Microsoft) + open-source community",
    "license": {
      "value": "MIT",
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
      "note": "Confirm the repo license at build."
    },
    "maturity_tag": "emerging",
    "current_spec_version": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
      "note": "Confirm current release/version at build."
    },
    "spec_date": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
      "note": "Confirm latest release date at build."
    },
    "launch_date": {
      "value": "2025",
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
      "note": "Confirm first-release date at build (announced 2025)."
    },
    "last_verified": "2026-06-15",
    "transport": "HTTP (POST /ask); each NLWeb endpoint is also exposed as an MCP server",
    "core_mechanism": "NLWeb combines a site's Schema.org structured data, a vector store, and an LLM behind a /ask endpoint; a query returns a grounded natural-language answer plus structured sources, and every NLWeb endpoint is simultaneously an MCP server.",
    "discovery_endpoint": "POST /ask (and MCP server interface)",
    "settlement_type": null,
    "adoption_metric": {
      "value": null,
      "verify_status": "verify-against-primary-at-build",
      "source_hint": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb",
      "note": "No audited adoption figure asserted."
    },
    "notable_adopters": [
      {
        "value": "Microsoft",
        "source": "https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb"
      }
    ],
    "relationships": [
      {
        "predicate": "built_on",
        "target": "schema-org",
        "note": "NLWeb -built_on-> schema.org (research §2 seed triple). schema.org-for-agents is not a separate record in this 12-record pass; edge documented for the build-out."
      },
      {
        "predicate": "complements",
        "target": "mcp",
        "note": "Every NLWeb endpoint is also an MCP server, so it pairs with the capability layer."
      }
    ],
    "ideal_use_case": "Giving a content-rich site a conversational, agent-queryable answer endpoint grounded in its own structured data.",
    "when_to_use": "When you have Schema.org data and want agents to ask questions and get cited, grounded answers from your site.",
    "when_not_to_use": "When a static curated link map (llms.txt) is enough, or when you need cross-agent coordination (A2A) rather than Q&A.",
    "code_example": "POST /ask HTTP/1.1\nContent-Type: application/json\n\n{ \"query\": \"What does Acme sell under $50?\" }\n// → { \"answer\": \"...\", \"sources\": [ { \"url\": \"...\", \"schema\": \"Product\" } ] }",
    "source": "Project (Microsoft / R.V. Guha), built on schema.org, MCP-server duality: https://github.com/nlweb-ai/NLWeb ; seed triple research §2.",
    "agent_readiness_link": "agent-readiness/discoverability",
    "layer_legacy": "content"
  }
}