# OASF

> A standardized schema for describing AI agents — their capabilities, metadata and relationships — so agents can be discovered and understood across platforms; the 'DNS for agents' within AGNTCY.

_The Agent Protocol Atlas · /protocols/oasf · [JSON](/api/protocols/oasf) · [all The Agent Protocol Atlas](/protocols)_

- **name:** OASF
- **full_name:** Open Agentic Schema Framework
- **layer:** capability
- **creator:** AGNTCY project (originated at Cisco / Outshift)
- **status:** active (Linux Foundation AGNTCY)
- **year:** 2025
- **one_liner:** A standardized schema for describing AI agents — their capabilities, metadata and relationships — so agents can be discovered and understood across platforms; the 'DNS for agents' within AGNTCY.
- **spec_url:** https://docs.agntcy.org/oasf/open-agentic-schema-framework/
- **snippet:**

```
An OASF record describes an agent's capabilities via attribute-based taxonomies for cross-platform discovery.
```
- **abbreviation:** OASF
- **also_known_as:** Open Agentic Schema Framework, Open Agent Schema Framework
- **canonical_spec_url:** https://docs.agntcy.org/oasf/open-agentic-schema-framework/
- **entity_uri:** https://github.com/agntcy/oasf
- **taxonomy_layer:** capability
- **sub_layer:** agent-capability-schema
- **protocol_type:** manifest
- **central_problem:** Gives AI agents a standardized schema to describe their capabilities, attributes, and relationships so they can be discovered and understood across different platforms.
- **maintainer:** AGNTCY project (Linux Foundation); originated at Cisco / Outshift
- **governance_body:** Linux Foundation (AGNTCY)
- **license:** Apache-2.0
- **maturity_tag:** emerging
- **current_spec_version:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **spec_date:** — (verify-against-primary-at-build)
- **launch_date:** 2025
- **last_verified:** 2026-06-15
- **transport:** Schema/manifest (attribute-based taxonomies; agent capability records)
- **core_mechanism:** OASF defines a standardized, attribute-based schema for agent capabilities, interactions, and metadata; agents publish OASF records so other agents and directories can discover and understand them across platforms. It functions as a 'DNS for agents' and underpins AGNTCY's Agent Discovery.
- **discovery_endpoint:** OASF agent capability records (AGNTCY Agent Directory)
- **settlement_type:** —
- **adoption_metric:** Part of AGNTCY, which reports 75+ supporting companies (formative members Cisco, Dell, Google Cloud, Oracle, Red Hat) (source: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-welcomes-the-agntcy-project-to-standardize-open-multi-agent-system-infrastructure-and-break-down-ai-agent-silos)
- **notable_adopters:** {"value":"Cisco / Outshift (originator)","source":"https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-welcomes-the-agntcy-project-to-standardize-open-multi-agent-system-infrastructure-and-break-down-ai-agent-silos"}
- **relationships:** {"predicate":"part_of","target":"agntcy","note":"OASF -part_of-> AGNTCY: OASF is AGNTCY's agent-discovery schema component."}, {"predicate":"competes_with","target":"a2a","note":"OASF agent capability descriptions overlap with A2A Agent Cards as ways to advertise what an agent can do."}
- **ideal_use_case:** Publishing a standardized, discoverable description of an agent's capabilities for cross-platform multi-agent systems.
- **when_to_use:** When you are building on the AGNTCY 'Internet of Agents' stack and need a common capability schema for agent discovery.
- **when_not_to_use:** When you have committed to A2A Agent Cards or only need a single agent to call tools (use MCP).
- **code_example:** // OASF agent capability record (schematic)
{ "name": "researcher", "schema_version": "oasf", "capabilities": [ { "class": "nlp/summarization" } ], "locators": [ { "type": "docker-image" } ] }
- **source:** OASF as AGNTCY's standardized agent-capability schema ('DNS for agents'), Apache-2.0, Linux Foundation: https://docs.agntcy.org/oasf/open-agentic-schema-framework/ and https://github.com/agntcy/oasf . AGNTCY/LF context: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/press/linux-foundation-welcomes-the-agntcy-project-to-standardize-open-multi-agent-system-infrastructure-and-break-down-ai-agent-silos . Listed for addition in research §2.
- **agent_readiness_link:** agent-readiness/discoverability
- **layer_legacy:** tool
