Specification — openworkid.org

—Introduction

The upstand.work standard defines how professional identity is structured, verified, and transported between systems. It does not prescribe how data is stored or displayed — only how it is represented so that any platform, AI agent, or application can read and verify it consistently.

→upstand.work is the reference implementation of this standard. Any platform may implement the standard independently. The schema is hosted at https://openworkid.org/v1 and versioned semantically.

—Versioning & @context

Every document must declare a @context pointing to a specific version of the standard. Implementations must not silently upgrade to a newer version — version negotiation is explicit.

Minimal valid document

{
  "@context": "https://openworkid.org/v1",
  "@type": "ProfessionalIdentity",
  "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein",
  "name": "Mara Stein",
  "humanProof": { "verified": false },
  "experience": [],
  "verifications": [],
  "extensions": []
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
@context	URL	required	Must point to a versioned schema URL. `https://openworkid.org/v1`
@type	string	required	Always `"ProfessionalIdentity"` at the root level.
id	URI	required	Stable, permanent URI for this identity. Must not change once published.
name	string	required	Full name of the professional. No length limit.
humanProof	HumanProof	required	See \u00A73. Must be present even if `verified: false`.
experience	ExperienceRecord[]	required	Array of experience records. May be empty. See §1.
verifications	PeerVerification[]	required	Array of peer verifications. May be empty. See §2.
extensions	Extension[]	required	Profession-specific extension blocks. May be empty. See §5.
visibility	"public" \| "unlisted" \| "inactive"	optional	Controls indexing behavior. Default: `"public"`.
createdAt	ISO 8601	optional	Timestamp of initial profile creation.
updatedAt	ISO 8601	optional	Timestamp of last modification to any field.
summary	string	optional	AI-generated or human-written summary. Max 500 characters. Used in SEO meta-description.
availableForWork	boolean	optional	Signals active availability. Default: `false`.
currentWork	CurrentWork	optional	Owner-confirmed, time-sensitive professional focus with goal, audience, collaborators, next step, and provenance.
askTopics	AskTopic[]	optional	Explicitly confirmed conversation topics. Renderers must not infer or publish additional topics.
workCompatibility	WorkCompatibility	optional	Owner-authored conditions for effective collaboration.
artifacts	Artifact[]	optional	Public work samples and media with stable references, context, visibility, and provenance.

01Experience RecordCore

An Experience Record captures a single professional experience as a structured narrative — not a job title and dates, but the context, challenge, contribution, measurable result, and what was learned. This format cannot be replicated by AI from a profile scrape because the substance must come from the professional.

ℹEach Experience Record gets a stable, permanent URI of the form upstand.work/[username]/exp/[id]. This URI must never change once published — external references, MCP calls, and Verification references depend on it.

ExperienceRecord — full example

{
  "@type": "ExperienceRecord",
  "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",

  // Where and when
  "organisation": "Asterfeld Mobility",
  "role": "Senior Finance Controller",
  "startDate": "2019-03",
  "endDate": "2022-11",
  "isCurrent": false,
  "location": "Munich, Germany",
  "remote": false,

  // The narrative — five structured fields
  "context": "Automotive group, 23 manufacturing sites across 12 countries. No unified financial reporting existed — each site used local systems.",
  "challenge": "Build a consolidated real-time reporting framework in time for the next board cycle — 14 months originally planned.",
  "contribution": "Led a cross-functional team of 6. Designed the data model, negotiated system access across regions, ran parallel pilots in DE and CN to prove the concept before full rollout.",
  "result": "Delivered in 8 months — 6 months ahead of plan. System became the foundation for all board-level strategic decisions. Still in use three years later.",
  "learning": "Stakeholder alignment across cultures and time zones is the hardest part of any infrastructure project — not the technology.",

  // References to verifications of this record
  "verificationRefs": [
    "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/001",
    "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/002"
  ],

  // Writing style used
  "writingStyle": "direct",  // "direct" | "grounded" | "expert"

  "createdAt": "2026-04-01T10:32:00Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-03T14:15:00Z"
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	URI	required	Stable permanent URI. Format: `[base]/exp/[id]`. Never changes once set.
organisation	string	required	Name of the organisation or client. For freelance work, use client name or `"Independent"`.
role	string	required	Professional role or title during this experience.
startDate	YYYY-MM	required	Month-level precision. Full ISO 8601 dates accepted but only month-year displayed.
endDate	YYYY-MM	optional	Omit if `isCurrent: true`. Must not be present together with `isCurrent: true`.
isCurrent	boolean	optional	Default: `false`.
context	string	required	Situational background. Where, what organisation, what was the starting state. Max 600 chars.
challenge	string	required	The specific problem or challenge this experience addressed. Max 400 chars.
contribution	string	required	What this person specifically did. First person. Max 600 chars.
result	string	required	Measurable outcome. Quantified where possible. Max 400 chars.
learning	string	optional	What was learned. Differentiates this standard from a CV. Max 300 chars.
verificationRefs	URI[]	optional	References to PeerVerification objects that validate this specific record.
writingStyle	"direct" \| "grounded" \| "expert"	optional	Writing style variant used when this record was created.

02Peer VerificationCore · The Moat

A Peer Verification is a public statement by a named individual confirming a specific Experience Record. The verifier stakes their professional identity — name, role, organisation — on the confirmation. This is the property AI cannot fake: a real person acting publicly.

→Mutual verifications (A verifies B and B verifies A) are valid but must be explicitly flagged via mutualFlag: true. Consuming applications must surface this to users.

PeerVerification — full example

{
  "@type": "PeerVerification",
  "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/001",

  // Which experience this validates
  "experienceRef": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",

  // The verifier — public, with skin in the game
  "verifier": {
    "name": "Nora Keller",
    "role": "Chief Financial Officer",
    "organisation": "Asterfeld Mobility",
    "emailDomain": "asterfeld.example",  // domain only — never full email
    "emailDomainType": "corporate",  // "corporate" | "personal"
    "profileUrl": "https://example.com/nora-keller"  // optional
  },

  // The statement — text or one-click
  "statement": "Thomas led the project with a precision I rarely see. Deadline met, budget intact, under significant pressure.",
  "statementType": "text",  // "text" | "one-click"

  // Integrity signals
  "mutualFlag": false,  // true if verifier also has a profile verified by subject
  "withdrawnAt": null,  // ISO timestamp if withdrawn — null if active

  "issuedAt": "2026-04-05T09:14:00Z"
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	URI	required	Stable permanent URI. Format: `[base]/ver/[id]`.
experienceRef	URI	required	Reference to the ExperienceRecord being verified. Must be a valid, existing record URI.
verifier.name	string	required	Full name. Publicly visible.
verifier.role	string	required	Role at time of collaboration. Publicly visible.
verifier.organisation	string	required	Organisation at time of collaboration. Publicly visible.
verifier.emailDomain	string	required	Domain only — never the full email address. Used as a trust signal.
verifier.emailDomainType	"corporate" \| "personal"	required	Corporate email domains carry higher weight. Must be derived from a validated lookup.
statement	string	optional	The verifier's words. Max 500 chars. May be absent if `statementType: "one-click"`.
statementType	"text" \| "one-click"	required	`"one-click"` verifications carry name and organisation but no text statement.
mutualFlag	boolean	required	Must be `true` if the verified subject also has a verification from this verifier. Never omit.
withdrawnAt	ISO 8601 \| null	required	`null` when active. Timestamp when withdrawn. Withdrawn verifications must be removed from public display.

03Human ProofCore

Human Proof is evidence that a real person controls this profile — not an AI agent or automated system. In the context of AI-generated credential inflation, this is a structural requirement of the standard.

!Human Proof does not guarantee identity in a legal sense. It guarantees that a human controls the profile. Implementations may layer additional identity verification on top of this standard.

HumanProof object

{
  "@type": "HumanProof",

  // Minimum viable proof: email-verified profile
  "verified": true,
  "method": "email-magic-link",
  // "email-magic-link" | "peer-verification-chain" | "document-verified"

  // Stronger proof: derived from active peer verifications
  "peerVerificationCount": 3,
  // Profiles with ≥1 verified peer carry inherently stronger human proof

  // Timestamp of last proof action
  "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-04-05T09:14:00Z",

  // Optional: document verification (future)
  "documentVerification": null
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
verified	boolean	required	Whether human proof has been established. Must be `false` until at least one method is completed.
method	string	optional	The primary method used. Required if `verified: true`.
peerVerificationCount	integer	optional	Number of active peer verifications. Serves as a secondary human proof signal. Automatically derived — do not set manually.
lastVerifiedAt	ISO 8601	optional	When proof was last confirmed. Required if `verified: true`.

04Portable IdentityCore

Portable Identity defines how a complete professional identity document is exported, imported, and transferred between platforms. Data sovereignty requires that the export format is open, human-readable, and machine-processable without vendor lock-in.

Export envelope — portableIdentity.json

{
  "@context": "https://openworkid.org/v1",
  "@type": "PortableIdentityExport",

  // Export metadata
  "exportedAt": "2026-04-10T08:00:00Z",
  "exportedBy": "upstand.work",
  "standardVersion": "0.1.0",
  "schemaUrl": "https://openworkid.org/v1",

  // The complete identity document
  "identity": {
    "@type": "ProfessionalIdentity",
    "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein",
    "name": "Mara Stein",
    "humanProof": { /* ... */ },
    "experience": [ /* all ExperienceRecord objects */ ],
    "verifications": [ /* all PeerVerification objects */ ],
    "extensions": [ /* all Extension objects */ ]
  },

  // Note on verifications portability
  "verificationPortabilityNote": "Peer verifications are included as historical records. The trust graph they form is anchored to the original platform. Importing platforms must re-request verifications to establish trust on their own domain."
}

ℹVerifications in an export are historical records only. The trust graph is anchored to the platform where verifications were issued. An importing platform must re-request verifications to establish trust within its own domain.

05ExtensionsCore

Extensions are modular, profession-specific field sets that attach to a ProfessionalIdentity. The core schema is universal — extensions are what make a Psychotherapist's profile structurally different from a Software Engineer's. Each extension is independently versioned and adoptable.

Extension schema — software-engineer example

{
  "@type": "Extension",
  "extensionId": "https://openworkid.org/v1/extensions/software-engineer",
  "extensionVersion": "1.0.0",

  // Extension-specific fields
  "fields": {
    "primaryLanguages": ["TypeScript", "Python", "Rust"],
    "frameworks": ["Next.js", "FastAPI"],
    "cloudProviders": ["AWS", "Vercel"],
    "openSourceContributions": [
      { "repo": "https://github.com/...", "role": "contributor" }
    ],
    "seniority": "senior",
    // "junior" | "mid" | "senior" | "principal" | "staff"
    "remotePreference": "remote-only"
    // "on-site" | "hybrid" | "remote-only" | "flexible"
  }
}

Extension schema — psychotherapist example

{
  "@type": "Extension",
  "extensionId": "https://openworkid.org/v1/extensions/psychotherapist",
  "extensionVersion": "1.0.0",

  "fields": {
    "approbationStatus": "approbiert",
    "therapeuticApproach": ["VT", "Schema-Therapie", "EMDR"],
    // "VT" | "TP" | "AP" | "Systemisch" | "DBT" | "EMDR" | "Schema" | ...
    "setting": ["Einzeltherapie", "Gruppentherapie"],
    "targetGroups": ["Erwachsene", "Trauma"],
    "kassenzulassung": true,
    "languages": ["de", "en"],

    // Regulatory compliance flag — rendered as visible hint in UI
    "regulatoryNotice": "Als Psychotherapeut gelten besondere Datenschutz- und Werbebeschränkungen. Keine Patientenfälle — auch nicht anonymisiert — ohne ausdrückliche schriftliche Einwilligung."
  }
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
extensionId	URI	required	Canonical URI of the extension definition. Must resolve to valid extension schema.
extensionVersion	semver	required	Version of the extension schema used. Implementations must not silently upgrade.
fields	object	required	Extension-specific fields as defined by the extension schema. Unrecognised fields must be preserved but may be ignored in display.
fields.regulatoryNotice	string	optional	If present in an extension definition, this string must be displayed visibly in any profile editor for this profession. Not optional for implementations.

06Living ProfileCore

A professional profile is more than its history. The Living Profile captures owner-confirmed current work, explicit topics for exchange, and collaboration preferences without deriving claims at render time. Every inferred or suggested value must retain its source and requires confirmation before publication.

CurrentWork and AskTopic

{
  "currentWork": {
    "id": "current-work-hybrid-learning",
    "title": "Hybrid learning model for vocational training",
    "summary": "Combining workshops, digital prompts, and practice projects.",
    "goal": "Better transfer into real workshop tasks.",
    "audience": ["Vocational learners"],
    "collaborators": ["Teachers", "Training companies"],
    "nextStep": "Pilot and evaluate in the next school year",
    "source": "manual",
    "confirmedAt": "2026-08-20T10:00:00Z"
  },
  "askTopics": [
    {
      "id": "topic-hybrid-learning",
      "content": "Hybrid learning formats",
      "position": 0,
      "source": "suggested",
      "confirmedAt": "2026-08-20T10:00:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
currentWork.id	string	required	Stable identifier for this current-work snapshot.
currentWork.title	string	required	Owner-confirmed title. Max 180 characters.
currentWork.summary	string	optional	Concise description. Max 600 characters.
currentWork.goal	string	optional	Intended outcome or impact.
currentWork.audience	string[]	optional	Who the work is for. Must not be substituted with a general profile target group.
currentWork.collaborators	string[]	optional	People or organisations involved in this work.
currentWork.nextStep	string	optional	Concrete next step.
source	manual \| imported \| suggested \| derived \| generated	required	Content provenance retained across exports.
confirmedAt	ISO 8601	required	Publication gate. Unconfirmed current work and topics must not be rendered publicly.

07ArtifactsCore

Artifacts make professional work inspectable without coupling it to a particular page design. Each artifact is explicitly attached to the whole profile, current work, or one Experience Record.

Artifact — image example

{
  "id": "https://upstand.work/katharina-vogt/artifact/lab-setup",
  "contextType": "experience",
  "experienceRef": "https://upstand.work/katharina-vogt/exp/001",
  "kind": "image",
  "title": "Mechatronics training setup",
  "description": "Practice setup for sensor and control exercises.",
  "url": "https://cdn.example.org/lab-setup.webp",
  "mimeType": "image/webp",
  "altText": "Mechatronics components and circuit plans on a workbench",
  "source": "manual",
  "featured": true,
  "visibility": "public",
  "position": 0
}

Field	Type	Required	Description
id	URI	required	Stable artifact URI.
contextType	profile \| current_work \| experience	required	Where the artifact belongs.
experienceRef	URI	optional	Required only when contextType is experience.
kind	image \| document \| link \| video \| publication	required	Portable media classification.
title	string	required	Human-readable label. Max 140 characters.
url	URL	required	Public resource URL for public artifacts.
source	provenance	required	How the artifact entered the profile.
visibility	public \| private	required	Private artifacts are never returned by public APIs or MCP.

—Complete Example

A complete, valid upstand.work standard document combining all seven core concepts.

mara-stein.upstandwork.json — complete document

{
  "@context": "https://openworkid.org/v1",
  "@type": "ProfessionalIdentity",
  "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein",
  "name": "Mara Stein",
  "summary": "Senior Finance Controller with 20 years in manufacturing. Built reporting infrastructure across 12 countries. Now available as an independent consultant.",
  "visibility": "public",
  "availableForWork": true,
  "createdAt": "2026-04-01T10:32:00Z",
  "updatedAt": "2026-04-10T14:00:00Z",

  "humanProof": {
    "@type": "HumanProof",
    "verified": true,
    "method": "email-magic-link",
    "peerVerificationCount": 3,
    "lastVerifiedAt": "2026-04-05T09:14:00Z"
  },

  "currentWork": {
    "id": "current-work-finance-controls",
    "title": "Reusable liquidity-planning model for mid-sized manufacturers",
    "goal": "Make weekly cash decisions possible without spreadsheet consolidation.",
    "source": "manual",
    "confirmedAt": "2026-08-20T10:00:00Z"
  },
  "askTopics": [
    { "id": "topic-liquidity", "content": "Liquidity planning", "position": 0, "source": "manual", "confirmedAt": "2026-08-20T10:00:00Z" }
  ],

  "experience": [
    {
      "@type": "ExperienceRecord",
      "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",
      "organisation": "Asterfeld Mobility",
      "role": "Senior Finance Controller",
      "startDate": "2019-03",
      "endDate": "2022-11",
      "isCurrent": false,
      "context": "Automotive group, 23 sites across 12 countries. No unified financial reporting.",
      "challenge": "Build consolidated real-time reporting in time for next board cycle.",
      "contribution": "Led cross-functional team of 6. Designed data model, negotiated access across regions, ran parallel pilots in DE and CN.",
      "result": "Delivered in 8 months — 6 ahead of plan. Foundation for all board-level decisions. Still in use.",
      "learning": "Stakeholder alignment across cultures is harder than the technology.",
      "writingStyle": "direct",
      "verificationRefs": [
        "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/001",
        "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/002"
      ]
    }
  ],

  "verifications": [
    {
      "@type": "PeerVerification",
      "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/001",
      "experienceRef": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",
      "verifier": {
        "name": "Nora Keller",
        "role": "Chief Financial Officer",
        "organisation": "Asterfeld Mobility",
        "emailDomain": "asterfeld.example",
        "emailDomainType": "corporate"
      },
      "statement": "Mara led the project with a precision I rarely see. On time, on budget, under pressure.",
      "statementType": "text",
      "mutualFlag": false,
      "withdrawnAt": null,
      "issuedAt": "2026-04-05T09:14:00Z"
    },
    {
      "@type": "PeerVerification",
      "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/ver/002",
      "experienceRef": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",
      "verifier": {
        "name": "Leon Brandt",
        "role": "VP Finance",
        "organisation": "Nordhain Manufacturing",
        "emailDomain": "nordhain.example",
        "emailDomainType": "corporate"
      },
      "statement": null,
      "statementType": "one-click",
      "mutualFlag": false,
      "withdrawnAt": null,
      "issuedAt": "2026-04-06T11:02:00Z"
    }
  ],

  "artifacts": [
    {
      "id": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/artifact/liquidity-model",
      "contextType": "experience",
      "experienceRef": "https://upstand.work/mara-stein/exp/001",
      "kind": "document",
      "title": "Liquidity planning model overview",
      "url": "https://cdn.example.org/liquidity-model.pdf",
      "source": "manual",
      "visibility": "public"
    }
  ],

  "extensions": [
    {
      "@type": "Extension",
      "extensionId": "https://openworkid.org/v1/extensions/finance-controller",
      "extensionVersion": "1.0.0",
      "fields": {
        "specialisations": ["FP&A", "Reporting", "Business Intelligence"],
        "systems": ["SAP", "Power BI", "Cognos"],
        "industries": ["Automotive", "Manufacturing"],
        "rateRange": { "min": 900, "max": 1200, "currency": "EUR", "unit": "day" }
      }
    }
  ]
}

—Stable URI Requirements

All objects in the standard are identified by stable, permanent URIs. These URIs are referenced by external systems, AI agents, and other profiles. They must never change once published.

URI structure

// Profile root
https://upstand.work/[username]

// Experience Records
https://upstand.work/[username]/exp/001
https://upstand.work/[username]/exp/002

// Peer Verifications
https://upstand.work/[username]/ver/001
https://upstand.work/[username]/ver/002

// Extensions
https://openworkid.org/v1/extensions/[slug]
https://openworkid.org/v1/extensions/[slug]@1.0.0  // versioned reference

!Username changes are permitted once. When a username changes, the old URI must redirect (HTTP 301) for a minimum of 6 months. After that, the old URI may return 410 Gone. External references that relied on the old URI are not guaranteed to update.

—Extension Library

The following extensions are part of the standard library. Each has a canonical schema, versioning, and where applicable, regulatory compliance notices for the profession.

Software Engineer

extensions/software-engineer

12 fields · v1.0.0

DevOps / Cloud Engineer

extensions/devops-cloud-engineer

8 fields · v1.0.0

Data Scientist

extensions/data-scientist

8 fields · v1.0.0

UX / Product Designer

extensions/ux-product-designer

7 fields · v1.0.0

Product Manager

extensions/product-manager

7 fields · v1.0.0

Finance / Controller

extensions/finance-controller

6 fields · v1.0.0

Lawyer

extensions/lawyer

4 fields · v1.0.0 · ⚖ regulated

Tax Advisor

extensions/tax-advisor

5 fields · v1.0.0

Physician

extensions/physician

5 fields · v1.0.0 · ⚖ regulated

Psychotherapist

extensions/psychotherapist

7 fields · v1.0.0 · ⚖ regulated

extensions/content-creator

5 fields · v1.0.0

Management Consultant

extensions/management-consultant

7 fields · v1.0.0

Project Manager

extensions/project-manager

7 fields · v1.0.0

HR / Recruiter

extensions/hr-recruiter

5 fields · v1.0.0

Architect

extensions/architect

5 fields · v1.0.0 · ⚖ regulated

extensions/teacher-coach

6 fields · v1.0.0

Sales Professional

extensions/sales-professional

8 fields · v1.0.0

Propose an extension

github.com/entwicklerherz/openworkid.org

→ open RFC process

—License & Governance

The upstand.work standard is published under the MIT License. No permission is required to implement it. The governance model transitions in three phases as adoption grows.

Phase	Trigger	Control
Phase 1 — Now	Active	upstand.work controls the schema. All changes via public GitHub PRs. MIT License. Transparent changelog.
Phase 2 — Steering Group	3–5 external platforms adopt	GitHub Organization with RFC process. No formal foundation yet. All adopters have voice.
Phase 3 — Foundation	Standard is established	Neutral foundation owns the standard. Self-funded by Verified Employer Program revenue. No single company controls it.

← Previous

Overview

Extension Library

The upstand.work Standard