Open Specification
ACEC
Agent Commerce Execution Contract
ACEC is a narrow execution standard that defines how machine-initiated transactions are quoted, executed, and receipted. It specifies the minimal contract between agents and merchants—nothing more.
What ACEC covers
- Quoting
- Structured requests for pricing and availability
- Execution
- Atomic transaction operations with validation
- Receipts
- Cryptographic proofs of completed transactions
What ACEC does not cover
- User interfaces
- How agents or humans interact with commerce
- Product catalogs
- How merchants organize or present inventory
- Marketplaces
- Aggregation, discovery, or comparison experiences
- AI prompts
- Natural language processing or intent extraction
Design principles
- 01 Minimal surface area
Only specify what is strictly necessary for execution.
- 02 Transport agnostic
Works over HTTP, message queues, or direct integration.
- 03 Verifiable by default
Every operation produces cryptographic proof.
- 04 Forward compatible
Designed for extension without breaking existing implementations.