A structured protocol for AI-assisted workflow management.
The Rhumb Workflow Protocol™ (RWP™) is a formal, open-source protocol specification designed to enable structured, multi-phase AI Workflow™ Management in AI-assisted environments. RWP combines clear artifact definitions, lifecycle state machines, and formalized integration points to enable consistent workflow execution across tools, platforms, and AI providers.
Created by YAKKL, Inc. - the Rhumb Workflow Protocol™ is a complementary, open counterpart to YAKKL® Meridian™, which serves as the reference implementation.
Protocol URL: https://rhumbprotocol.dev
Get started with RWP in 3 steps:
- Capture requirements - Create an
INTAKE.yamldescribing pain points, requirements, and constraints - Write a plan - Decompose work into phases in a
PLAN.mdwith deliverables and tasks - Track execution - Update
state.yamlas phases progress, writing handoff documents between sessions
For a complete walkthrough with examples, see the Getting Started Guide.
RWP provides integration adapters for major AI platforms:
| Platform | Adapter | Setup |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | claude-code/ | Copy to .claude/ directory |
| OpenAI Codex | codex/ | Copy to .codex/ directory |
| Gemini CLI | gemini-cli/ | Copy to .gemini/ directory |
| Claude.ai | claude-ai/ | Paste into project knowledge |
| ChatGPT | chatgpt/ | Paste into custom instructions |
| Gemini Web | gemini-web/ | Paste into conversation context |
- Getting Started - Practical guide to adopting RWP
- Protocol Specification - Full RWP specification (2000+ lines)
- Implementation Profiles - Core RWP versus file-tree profiles, including the Meridian reference profile
- Extensions Guide - Extending RWP with custom fields, artifacts, and integrations
- FAQ - Frequently asked questions about adoption, implementation, and compatibility
- Diagram Guide - Public diagram set for artifacts, lifecycle, architecture path, conformance, and portability
- Papers - Executive, implementation, and specification-bundle paper outlines
- Format Specifications - 11 spec documents + 7 JSON schemas
- Templates - 18 foundation templates for RWP-compliant workflows
- Integration Guides - 9 adapters across 6 platforms
- Governance - Committee charter, decision-making process, and release governance
- Contributing - How to contribute to RWP
- Changelog - Version history
- Examples - Complete example workflows demonstrating RWP in practice
- Ideas - Idea artifact worked examples (5 lifecycle states) and anti-fixtures
- Bug Fix - 1-phase single-developer bug fix (lightest RWP usage)
- Simple Feature - 2-phase, single developer (REQUIRED-only approach)
- Multi-Phase Project - 5-phase with sub-phases, multi-team (REQUIRED + RECOMMENDED)
rhumbprotocol/
├── docs/
│ ├── PROTOCOL.md # Full RWP specification
│ ├── GETTING-STARTED.md # Practical adoption guide
│ ├── IMPLEMENTATION-PROFILES.md # Core profile + Meridian reference profile
│ ├── EXTENSIONS.md # Extension patterns & custom artifacts
│ └── FAQ.md # Frequently asked questions
├── spec/
│ ├── schemas/ # 7 JSON schemas (plan, intake, manifest, state, handoff, idea, lifecycle)
│ ├── uuid.format.md # UUID format specification
│ ├── uuid-generation.md # UUID generation guidance
│ ├── versioning.format.md # Version embedding format
│ ├── sequence.grammar # Phase sequence ABNF grammar
│ ├── sequence-parser.md # Sequence parser specification
│ ├── implementation-guide.md # Implementation best practices
│ ├── conformance-levels.md # Conformance level guidance
│ ├── custom-fields.md # Custom field extension patterns
│ ├── schema-composition.md # Schema composition & inheritance
│ ├── openapi-integration.md # OpenAPI integration patterns
│ └── lifecycle/
│ └── idea-lifecycle.spec.md # Idea artifact lifecycle state machine
├── templates/
│ ├── PLAN.md.template # Master plan document
│ ├── INTAKE.yaml.template # Requirements capture
│ ├── MASTERPLAN.yaml.template # Execution masterplan
│ ├── PLAN-STATE.yaml.template # Runtime execution state
│ ├── DEPENDENCIES.yaml.template # Dependency tracking
│ ├── MANIFEST-PLAN.yaml.template # File/deliverable registry
│ ├── IDEA.md.template # Idea artifact (architecture pipeline entry)
│ ├── sequences.yaml.template # Sequence configuration
│ ├── architecture/ # AVD + ACS templates
│ ├── display/ # 6 display/prompt templates
│ └── reference/ # Handoff + audit templates
├── integrations/
│ ├── claude-code/ # Claude Code CLI adapter
│ ├── codex/ # OpenAI Codex adapter
│ ├── gemini-cli/ # Google Gemini CLI adapter
│ ├── claude-ai/ # Claude.ai browser guide
│ ├── chatgpt/ # ChatGPT browser instructions
│ └── gemini-web/ # Gemini browser context
├── examples/
│ ├── ideas/ # Idea artifact worked examples + anti-fixtures
│ ├── simple-feature/ # 2-phase dark mode toggle (minimal RWP)
│ │ ├── INTAKE.yaml
│ │ ├── PLAN.md
│ │ ├── state.yaml
│ │ └── handoffs/
│ ├── multi-phase/ # 5-phase rate limiter (full RWP)
│ │ ├── INTAKE.yaml
│ │ ├── PLAN.md
│ │ ├── state.yaml
│ │ └── handoffs/
│ └── bug-fix/ # 1-phase form-button double-submission fix (lightest RWP)
│ ├── INTAKE.yaml
│ ├── PLAN.md
│ ├── state.yaml
│ └── handoffs/
├── committee/
│ ├── CHARTER.md # Committee charter and membership
│ ├── GOVERNANCE.md # Decision-making and proposal process
│ ├── RELEASES.md # Release governance and versioning
│ ├── minutes/ # Published meeting notes
│ └── proposals/ # RWP Enhancement Proposals (AEPs)
├── rules/ # Custom validation rules (extensible)
├── schemas/ # Additional schemas (extensible)
├── util/ # Reference implementations
│ ├── uuid-generator.ts # UUID generation reference
│ ├── uuid-generator.test.ts # UUID tests
│ ├── sequence-parser.ts # Sequence parser reference
│ └── sequence-parser.test.ts # Parser tests
├── LICENSE # Apache-2.0
├── NOTICE # License attribution inclusion
├── TRADEMARK.md # Trademark policies
├── CHANGELOG.md # Version history
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines
└── README.md # This file
- Formal Specification: Comprehensive, versioned protocol documentation
- Flexible Integration: Adapters for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, and web platforms
- Foundation Templates: Advisory-only templates for rapid workflow setup
- Crypto UUID Generation: Deterministic, verifiable artifact identifiers
- Schema Validation: JSON/YAML schemas for all artifact types
- Lifecycle State Machines: Formal state machines with per-artifact transition rules
- Governance: Open committee structure and contribution guidelines
YAKKL® Meridian™ - The official reference implementation of the Rhumb Workflow Protocol™.
Licensed under the Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE for details.
We welcome contributions to the Rhumb Workflow Protocol™. See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines on:
- Protocol specification changes
- Template contributions
- Integration adapters for new platforms
- Documentation improvements
See CHANGELOG.md for version history.
The Rhumb Workflow Protocol™ draws inspiration from established open standards including:
- LSP (Language Server Protocol) - Microsoft's standardized interface for editor tools
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) - Anthropic's protocol for structured tool integration
- OpenAPI - Industry standard for API specification
These protocols demonstrate the value of formal, open specifications in enabling ecosystem interoperability. RWP extends these principles to AI workflow management.
"Rhumb"™, "Rhumb Workflow Protocol"™, and "RWP"™ are trademarks of YAKKL, Inc. The marks are claimed under U.S. common law; no federal registration is asserted in this document. Use of the marks is governed by TRADEMARK.md. Apache 2.0 §6 trademark exclusion applies — the License does not grant trademark rights.
For mark-use enquiries, written-agreement requests, or infringement reports, contact legal@yakkl.com.
Rhumb Workflow Protocol™ (RWP™)
The protocol version is stored in VERSION. For breaking protocol-shape changes during the pre-1.0 period, bump MINOR, for example 0.29.0 to 0.31.0. PATCH is only for backward-compatible corrections.
After changing VERSION, run:
node scripts/sync-version.mjs