Oip Spec

OIP (Open Intent Protocol)

> Connect the Unconnected. Make every App AI-ready. > The decentralized standard for the Virtual Super App Alliance.

[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT) [](./schemas/v1.0.0.json)

🌍 What is OIP?

Open Intent Protocol (OIP) is a standardized JSON specification that allows any application—mobile apps, websites, or SaaS platforms—to expose their capabilities to AI Agents without complex backend integration.

By hosting a simple oip.json file, independent apps can join the Open Intent Alliance, effectively forming a Virtual Super App. This allows users to control their favorite apps via natural language through OIP-compliant clients (like Oipia), breaking the monopoly of walled-garden Super Apps.

Key Features

• Zero-Backend: No need to build new servers. Just map your existing URL Schemes or APIs.
• Commercial Ready: Built-in support for Authentication and Affiliate Commissions.
• Multi-Mode Execution: Supports In-App WebViews, Headless APIs, and Native Deep Links.

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🚀 How It Works

1. Define: Developers create an oip.json file describing their App's intents (Actions).
2. Host: Place the file at the domain root (e.g., https://myapp.com/oip.json).
3. Discovery: AI Agents automatically index these capabilities via DNS or the OIP Registry.
4. Execution: When a user expresses an intent (e.g., "Order coffee"), the AI fills the parameter slots and launches the App instantly.

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🛠 Protocol Specification (v1.0)

An OIP definition consists of four main sections: Meta, Auth, Affiliate, and Actions.

1. Execution Modes

OIP supports three modes to balance user experience and compatibility:

| Mode | Type | Description | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | view | WebView | Opens a popup browser inside the Agent. User completes the action without leaving the chat. | E-commerce, Food Delivery, Booking | | data | API | Sends a silent HTTP request in the background. AI confirms completion. | To-Do, Calendar, IoT Control | | native | Deep Link | Jumps to the installed native app on the device. | Navigation, System Settings, Local Apps |

2. Authentication (auth)

Secure your actions by requiring user credentials.

• Types: none, api_key, bearer, basic.
• Behavior: The Client will prompt the user to input credentials once, securely store them, and inject them into subsequent requests (Header/Query).

3. Affiliate Tracking (affiliate)

Monetize your AI traffic.

• Mechanism: Automatically injects partner IDs into URLs or API calls.
• Benefit: Enables revenue sharing between App Developers and Agent Platforms.

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🆚 OIP vs. MCP

While the Model Context Protocol (MCP) focuses on connecting LLMs to backend data and tools, OIP focuses on connecting AI to frontend applications and user experiences.

Think of MCP as the "Terminal" (Server-side, Data-centric) and OIP as the "Browser" (Client-side, User-centric).

| Feature | 🔌 MCP (Model Context Protocol) | 🚀 OIP (Open Intent Protocol) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Primary Goal | Provide context (Read files, Query SQL). | Execute Actions (Order food, Book ride). | | Integration | High Code: Requires running a Python/Node server. | Zero Code: Just host a static oip.json file. | | Execution | Headless: Runs invisibly in the background. | Visual: Opens WebViews or Deep Links with UI. | | User Interaction | Text-based results only. | Interactive: Supports Forms, Confirmations, and Payment. | | Ecosystem | For Developers & Geeks. | For Consumer Apps & SaaS. | | Monetization | N/A | Built-in Affiliate & Commission tracking. |

💡 The OIP Enhancement: MCP stops at the API call. OIP goes the extra mile to handle the User Interface, Traffic Attribution, and Commercial Monetization, making it the ideal standard for the App Alliance Ecosystem.

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⚡ Complete Example

Here is a comprehensive oip.json example for a hypothetical SaaS platform "CloudTools":

{
  "oip_version": "1.0.0",
  "app_meta": {
    "name": "CloudTools",
    "description": "Enterprise PDF and Image processing tools.",
    "home_url": "[https://cloudtools.com](https://cloudtools.com)",
    "icon": "[https://cloudtools.com/logo.png](https://cloudtools.com/logo.png)"
  },

  "auth": {
    "type": "api_key",
    "location": "header",
    "key_name": "X-API-TOKEN",
    "instructions": "Get your API Token from your Dashboard settings."
  },

  "affiliate": {
    "enabled": true,
    "mechanism": "query_param",
    "param_name": "ref_id",
    "default_value": "oipia_alliance"
  },

  "actions": [
    {
      "id": "compress_pdf",
      "name": "Compress PDF",
      "description": "Upload and compress a PDF file.",
      "mode": "view",
      "confirmation": "optional",
      "target": {
        "url_template": "[https://cloudtools.com/mobile/compress?level=](https://cloudtools.com/mobile/compress?level=){level}",
        "method": "GET"
      },
      "parameters": [
        {
          "name": "level",
          "description": "Compression level",
          "type": "enum",
          "options": ["low", "medium", "extreme"],
          "mapping": {
            "low": "1",
            "medium": "2",
            "extreme": "3"
          }
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "check_usage",
      "name": "Check Usage",
      "description": "Check current API usage statistics.",
      "mode": "data",
      "target": {
        "url_template": "[https://api.cloudtools.com/v1/usage](https://api.cloudtools.com/v1/usage)",
        "method": "GET"
      },
      "parameters": []
    }
  ]
}

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🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions to the standard!

1. Fork the repository.
2. Edit schemas/v1.0.0.json.
3. Submit a Pull Request.

Maintained by the Open Intent Alliance.

Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: oipia
• Source: oipia/oip-spec
• License: MIT
• Homepage: https://openintentprotocol.org

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.