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Agent Registration with Auth.md

Blog post from WorkOS

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Garrett Galow
Word Count
1,525
Language
English
Hacker News Points
-
Summary

Auth.md is an open protocol designed to streamline the process of agents registering for services on behalf of users without human intervention, addressing the limitations of traditional OAuth flows and bespoke endpoints. It involves a plain Markdown document hosted on a service's domain, providing a structured guide that agents can parse to navigate registration steps, from fetching resource metadata to handling credential usage and errors. Auth.md introduces a protocol with specific HTTP endpoints that agents use to register and authenticate, extending existing standards like RFC 9728 and OIDC, while avoiding the need for new cryptographic methods or key distribution. It supports two registration flows: Agent Verified, where a trusted platform signs an ID-JAG to assert user identity, and User Claimed, where users provide a one-time password to bind credentials. By utilizing auth.md, developers can enable agents to interface with their services efficiently, promoting scalability and interoperability without complex integrations or vendor lock-ins.