documents.html

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, shrink-to-fit=no">
<title>Documents published at W3C</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.w3.org/StyleSheets/TR/2016/base"></head>
<body class="h-entry informative"><div class="head">
    <h1 id="title" class="title">Documents published at W3C</h1>
  </div>

<p>This document lists the different classes of specifications published at <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr>. With no formal standing,
  it is intended to help the public understand the differences between the various document classes.
</p>

<nav id="toc"><h2 class="introductory" id="table-of-contents">Table of Contents</h2><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#note-prestandards"><bdi class="secno">1. </bdi>Proposals, Pre-standardization, and Notes</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#reports"><bdi class="secno">1.1 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community Group Report or <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Business Group Report</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#submission"><bdi class="secno">1.2 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Member Submission</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#notes"><bdi class="secno">1.3 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Notes</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#groupnotes"><bdi class="secno">1.3.1 </bdi>Working Group Note or Interest Group Note</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#registries"><bdi class="secno">1.3.1.1 </bdi>Note (containing a registry)</a></li></ol></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#draftnote"><bdi class="secno">1.3.2 </bdi>Working Draft (intended to become a Note)</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#eddraft-note"><bdi class="secno">1.3.3 </bdi>Editor's draft (not intended to become a Standard)</a></li></ol></li></ol></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#standardtrack"><bdi class="secno">2. </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Standardization track</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#eddraft"><bdi class="secno">2.1 </bdi>Editor's draft (intended to become a Standard)</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#wd"><bdi class="secno">2.2 </bdi>Working Draft (intended to become a Standard)</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#cr"><bdi class="secno">2.3 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#crd"><bdi class="secno">2.3.1 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation Draft</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#crs"><bdi class="secno">2.3.2 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation Snapshot</a></li></ol></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#pr"><bdi class="secno">2.4 </bdi>Proposed Recommendation</a></li></ol></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#standard"><bdi class="secno">3. </bdi>Standard</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#rec"><bdi class="secno">3.1 </bdi>Recommendation</a><ol class="toc"><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#amendedrec"><bdi class="secno">3.1.1 </bdi>Amended Recommendation</a></li></ol></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#superseded"><bdi class="secno">3.2 </bdi>Superseded Recommendation</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#obsolete"><bdi class="secno">3.3 </bdi>Obsolete Recommendation</a></li><li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#rescinded"><bdi class="secno">3.4 </bdi>Rescinded Recommendation</a></li></ol></li>
    <li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#retired"><bdi class="secno">4. </bdi>Retired Documents</a></li>
    <li class="tocline"><a class="tocxref" href="#references"><bdi class="secno">5. </bdi>References</a></li>
</ol></nav>

<section id="note-prestandards">
<h2 id="x1-proposals-pre-standardization-and-notes"><bdi class="secno">1. </bdi>Proposals, Pre-standardization, and Notes<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#note-prestandards"></a></h2>

<p>The classes of specifications listed in this section have not received formal review by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members, by software developers, and by other <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> groups and interested parties. These specifications are not endorsed by the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Director and do not imply endorsement by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members.

</p><p>Specifications in this class <em class="rfc2119">MUST NOT</em> be cited as <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> standards and <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> never become <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> standards.

</p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> implement these specifications at their own risk.  Implementation is neither discouraged nor encouraged but can contribute to proposals for further action on a specification.

  </p><section id="reports">
  <h3 id="x1-1-w3c-community-group-report-or-w3c-business-group-report"><bdi class="secno">1.1 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community Group Report or <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Business Group Report<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#reports"></a></h3>

  <p>A <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community or Business Group Report is a document (specification or other type) produced by a <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community or Business Group. It may be in Draft or Final form. When such a group announces a Final Report that is a Specification, the group asks participants to make patent licensing commitments for their contributions under the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community Final Specification Agreement.
   Group reports follow the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community and Business Group Process, designed to allow an easy way for innovation by individuals, outside the formal <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> standards process.
  </p><p>A <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Community or Business Group report <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> get picked up by a standards organization, including <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr>, to incorporate into a future Standard.
  </p></section>
  <section id="submission">
  <h3 id="x1-2-w3c-member-submission"><bdi class="secno">1.2 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Member Submission<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#submission"></a></h3>

  <p>A <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Member Submission is a document allowing <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members to propose technology or other ideas for consideration.
  </p><p>The Member Submission process affords <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members a record of their contribution and gives them a mechanism for disclosures (including IPR claims).
  </p><p>A Member Submission <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> get picked up by a standards organization, including <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr>, to incorporate into a future Standard.
  </p></section>
  <section id="notes">
  <h3 id="x1-3-w3c-notes"><bdi class="secno">1.3 </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Notes<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#notes"></a></h3>

 <p>The classes of specifications listed in this section do not have patent licensing commitments.

  </p><p>These types of documents are <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/"><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Technical Reports</a>.</p>

  <section id="groupnotes">
  <h4 id="x1-3-1-working-group-note-or-interest-group-note"><bdi class="secno">1.3.1 </bdi>Working Group Note or Interest Group Note<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#groupnotes"></a></h4>

  <p>A Working Group Note or Interest Group Note is published by a chartered <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Working Group or Interest Group to provide a stable reference for a document that is not intended to be a formal standard, or to document work that was abandoned without becoming a standard.
  </p><section id="registries">
  <h5 id="x1-3-1-1-note-containing-a-registry"><bdi class="secno">1.3.1.1 </bdi>Note (containing a registry)<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#registries"></a></h5>

  <p>Some <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Notes are intended to contain a registry and to be normatively referenced by one or more Standards. Each such specification <em class="rfc2119">SHOULD</em> document its own process for future updates.
    </p></section>
  </section>
  <section id="draftnote">
    <h4 id="x1-3-2-working-draft-intended-to-become-a-note"><bdi class="secno">1.3.2 </bdi>Working Draft (intended to become a Note)<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#draftnote"></a></h4>

    <p>Some <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Notes are developed through successive Working Drafts, with an expectation that they will become Notes.
    </p></section>
    <section id="eddraft-note">
   <h4 id="x1-3-3-editor-s-draft-not-intended-to-become-a-standard"><bdi class="secno">1.3.3 </bdi>Editor's draft (not intended to become a Standard)<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#eddraft-note"></a></h4>

   <p>An Editor's Draft is a document that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> has not yet published, though the group responsible for the draft expects it to be published as a Note eventually. Editor's Drafts are works in progress inside a <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Group and are not required to have the consensus of the Group participants.
  </p></section>
  </section>
</section>
<section id="standardtrack">
<h2 id="x2-w3c-standardization-track"><bdi class="secno">2. </bdi><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Standardization track<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#standardtrack"></a></h2>

<p>The classes of specifications listed in this section have received different levels of review by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members, by software developers, and by other <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> groups and interested parties according to <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> <a href="#biblio-process">Process</a>. These specifications are intended to eventually receive endorsement by the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Director and <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members.

</p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> implement these specifications at their own risk but implementation feedback is encouraged.

</p><p>These types of documents are <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/"><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Technical Reports</a>.</p>

<section id="eddraft">
   <h3 id="x2-1-editor-s-draft-intended-to-become-a-standard"><bdi class="secno">2.1 </bdi>Editor's draft (intended to become a Standard)<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#eddraft"></a></h3>

<p>An Editor's Draft is a document that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> has not yet published. An Editor's Draft is a work in progress inside a <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Group and is not required to have the consensus of the Group participants.
</p></section>
<section id="wd">
   <h3 id="x2-2-working-draft-intended-to-become-a-standard"><bdi class="secno">2.2 </bdi>Working Draft (intended to become a Standard)<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#wd"></a></h3>

<p>A Working Draft is a document that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> has published for review and for simple historical reference. A Working Draft is a work in progress and the content is not required to have full consensus of the Group participants, though the Group must have consensus to publish the draft. Per the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Patent Policy of September 2020, the first publication of the specification as a Working Draft marks the commencement of formal IPR licensing commitments.
</p></section>
<section id="cr">
  <h3 id="x2-3-candidate-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">2.3 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#cr"></a></h3>

<p>A Candidate Recommendation is a document that satisfies the technical requirements established in the Group charter or in subsequent requirements documents, has consensus of the Group participants, has gotten public review, and has received formal review from other <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Groups. A Candidate Recommendation may be in Draft or Snapshot form. Such specification is intended to gather final feedback from implementers.

    </p><section id="crd">
      <h4 id="x2-3-1-candidate-recommendation-draft"><bdi class="secno">2.3.1 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation Draft<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#crd"></a></h4>

      <p>A Candidate Recommendation Draft integrates changes from a previous Candidate Recommendation (Draft or Snapshot) to allow for review and for ease of reference to the integrated specification.

    </p></section>
  <section id="crs">
    <h4 id="x2-3-2-candidate-recommendation-snapshot"><bdi class="secno">2.3.2 </bdi>Candidate Recommendation Snapshot<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#crs"></a></h4>

    <p>A Candidate Recommendation Snapshot has been reviewed by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Groups and interested parties. The <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Patent Policy of September 2020 grants <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Royalty-Free IPR licenses to these publications.

    </p></section>
  </section>
  <section id="pr">
    <h3 id="x2-4-proposed-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">2.4 </bdi>Proposed Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#pr"></a></h3>

    <p>A Proposed Recommendation is a specification that has been accepted by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> as of sufficient quality to become a Standard. Such specification has been reviewed by software developers, as well as by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Groups and other interested parties. It is published for a final review by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members before approval by the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Director. The <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Patent Policy of September 2020 grants <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Royalty-Free IPR licenses to these publications.
  </p></section>
</section>
<section id="standard">
<h2 id="x3-standard"><bdi class="secno">3. </bdi>Standard<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#standard"></a></h2>

<p>The classes of specifications listed in this section have been formally reviewed by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Members, by software developers, and by <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> groups and interested parties. These specifications are endorsed by the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Director and <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Membership (except if Rescinded).

</p><p>The <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Patent Policy grants <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Royalty-Free IPR licenses to these specifications.

</p><p>These types of documents are <a href="https://www.w3.org/TR/"><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Technical Reports</a>.</p>

  <section id="rec">
   <h3 id="x3-1-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">3.1 </bdi>Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#rec"></a></h3>

   <p>A <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Recommendation is a specification or set of guidelines or requirements that, after extensive consensus-building, has received the endorsement of <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> and its Members. <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> recommends the wide deployment of a Recommendation as a standard for the Web.
   Some <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Recommendations <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> be continuously revised while others are maintained by creating new versions.

   </p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">SHOULD</em> implement these specifications.


  </p><section id="amendedrec">
   <h4 id="x3-1-1-amended-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">3.1.1 </bdi>Amended Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#amendedrec"></a></h4>

   <p>An Amended Recommendation is a specification that updates a previous Recommendation to include substantive changes that do not add new features. An Amended Recommendation is produced by the <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Staff to update a Recommendation (e.g. to incorporate errata) when no <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Working Group has a charter with a scope that covers the content of the Recommendation.

    </p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">SHOULD</em> implement these specifications.

    </p></section>
  </section>
  <section id="superseded">
    <h3 id="x3-2-superseded-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">3.2 </bdi>Superseded Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#superseded"></a></h3>

   <p>A Superseded Recommendation is a specification that has been replaced by a newer version that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> recommends for new adoption.

    </p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">SHOULD</em> implement the newer versions.

    </p></section>
    <section id="obsolete">
      <h3 id="x3-3-obsolete-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">3.3 </bdi>Obsolete Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#obsolete"></a></h3>

   <p>An Obsolete Recommendation is a specification that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> has determined lacks sufficient market relevance to continue recommending it for implementation.

    </p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">MAY</em> have implemented these specifications.

    </p></section>
    <section id="rescinded">
      <h3 id="x3-4-rescinded-recommendation"><bdi class="secno">3.4 </bdi>Rescinded Recommendation<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#rescinded"></a></h3>

   <p>A Rescinded Recommendation is an entire Recommendation that <abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> no longer endorses, and believes there is no reasonable prospect of it being restored to Recommendation status.

    </p><p>Software <em class="rfc2119">SHOULD NOT</em> implement these specifications.
   </p></section>
</section>
<section id="retired">
  <h2 id="x4-retired"><bdi class="secno">4. </bdi>Retired Documents<a class-"self-link" areia-label="§" href="#retired"></a></h2>
  <p>Some documents may additionally be annotated as "retired".  This
  annotation is most commonly added to Notes about work that is no
  longer being actively pursued. The Status section of such documents
  may contain information on the state of the work at the time the
  work ceased.  A document marked as "retired" will not be listed in
  W3C's default index of Technical Reports.  A retired document
  otherwise retains the formal status of its document class.</p>
</section>
<section id="references">
  <h2 id="x5-references"><bdi class="secno">5. </bdi>References<a class="self-link" aria-label="§" href="#references"></a></h2>
  <dl>
  <dt id="biblio-process">[PROCESS]</dt>
  <dd><a href="https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/">World Wide Web Consortium Process Document</a>. URL: <a href="https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/">https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/</a></dd>
  <dt id="biblio-patent-policy">[PATENT-POLICY]</dt>
  <dd><a href="https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy/"><abbr title="World Wide Web Consortium">W3C</abbr> Patent Policy</a>. URL: <a href="https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy/">https://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy/</a></dd>
  <dt>[BCG-PROCESS]</dt>
  <dd><a href="https://www.w3.org/community/about/process/">Community and Business Group Process</a>. URL: <a href="https://www.w3.org/community/about/process/">https://www.w3.org/community/about/process/</a></dd>
  </dl>
</section>
<hr>
<address><a href="mailto:plh@w3.org">plh@w3.org</a></address>
Comments and issues are welcome in the <a href="https://github.com/w3c/tr-pages/">GitHub repo</a>.
</body></html>