Lexicon Reference

Verak operates across two distinct lexicon namespaces. Understanding the difference matters both for interoperability and for the sovereignty guarantee. id.sifa.* is an open professional data standard that Verak implements. These schemas are not owned by Verak. Any AT Protocol application can read and write SIFA records, which is exactly the point. Your career history, education, and professional graph written via Verak are readable by any compliant app in the ecosystem. is.verak.* is Verak’s own namespace. These schemas cover the portfolio presentation layer, link page configuration, network identity, and verification state. They are published and versioned by Verak. Third-party AT Protocol clients can read these records to render Verak profile data wherever a user’s DID appears. All records in both namespaces are stored exclusively on the user’s Personal Data Server (PDS). Verak holds no copies.

The SIFA Standard (`id.sifa.*`)

The SIFA Standard is an open lexicon specification for portable professional identity on AT Protocol. Verak implements SIFA as the authoritative schema for all resume-grade career data. The primary account is always the SIFA write authority; secondary connected accounts contribute network reach and activity but do not maintain independent SIFA records. The following documents the SIFA lexicons Verak currently reads and writes. For the canonical SIFA specification, refer to the SIFA Standard documentation.

`id.sifa.profile`

The base professional profile record. Extends app.bsky.actor.profile with structured career metadata. Record key: singleton (one per account)
Written by: Primary account only
Read by: Verak profile renderer, any SIFA-compliant app

Field	Type	Required	Description
`displayName`	string	yes	Full professional name
`headline`	string	no	Single-line professional summary (max 160 chars)
`location`	string	no	City, region, or country
`website`	string (uri)	no	Primary professional website
`pronouns`	string	no	Preferred pronouns
`openTo`	array[string]	no	Known values: `work`, `consulting`, `collaboration`, `mentoring`

Example record

{
	"$type": "id.sifa.profile",
	"displayName": "Jason Butterfield",
	"headline": "Product Designer & Digital Sovereignty Advocate",
	"location": "Shelburne, Ontario, CA",
	"openTo": ["consulting", "collaboration"]
}

`id.sifa.position`

A single employment or contract position. Multiple records build the career timeline. Record key: tid (timestamp-based, ordered)
Written by: Primary account
Read by: Verak career timeline, any SIFA-compliant app

Field	Type	Required	Description
`title`	string	yes	Job title or role name
`organisation`	string	yes	Employer or client name
`organisationDid`	string (did)	no	DID of the organisation if on AT Protocol
`startDate`	string	yes	ISO 8601 date (YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD)
`endDate`	string	no	ISO 8601 date. Absent = current position
`description`	string	no	Role summary (max 1000 chars)
`location`	string	no	Work location or “Remote”
`employmentType`	string	no	Known values: `full-time`, `part-time`, `contract`, `freelance`, `volunteer`

Example record

{
	"$type": "id.sifa.position",
	"title": "Senior Product Designer",
	"organisation": "Northern Studio",
	"startDate": "2021-03",
	"description": "Led design systems and digital sovereignty product work.",
	"employmentType": "contract"
}

`id.sifa.education`

A single education record. Covers formal degrees, diplomas, bootcamps, and self-directed programs. Record key: tid
Written by: Primary account
Read by: Verak education section, any SIFA-compliant app

Field	Type	Required	Description
`institution`	string	yes	School, university, or program name
`institutionDid`	string (did)	no	DID of the institution if on AT Protocol
`credential`	string	no	Degree, diploma, certificate, or course name
`fieldOfStudy`	string	no	Subject area or major
`startDate`	string	no	ISO 8601 date
`endDate`	string	no	ISO 8601 date
`description`	string	no	Additional context (max 500 chars)

`id.sifa.endorsement`

A peer-to-peer signed skill endorsement. Written to the endorsing user’s own PDS, pointing at the subject’s DID. This is the fundamental trust mechanism: endorsements are not self-asserted and cannot be fabricated by the subject. Record key: tid
Written by: The endorsing user (to their own PDS)
Read by: Verak trust display, endorsement aggregators

Field	Type	Required	Description
`subject`	string (did)	yes	DID of the person being endorsed
`skill`	string	yes	Specific skill or competency being endorsed
`relationship`	string	no	Endorser’s relationship to subject (e.g. “colleague”, “client”)
`note`	string	no	Optional endorsement note (max 300 chars)
`createdAt`	string (datetime)	yes	ISO 8601 timestamp

How Verak renders endorsements Verak only surfaces endorsements from DIDs that carry a verak-verified Ozone label. This prevents low-signal or bot endorsements from appearing as meaningful trust indicators. The endorsement record stays on the endorser’s PDS permanently. The subject has no ability to delete it, which is intentional: the endorsement belongs to the person who gave it. Example record

{
	"$type": "id.sifa.endorsement",
	"subject": "did:plc:subject-did-here",
	"skill": "AT Protocol application architecture",
	"relationship": "colleague",
	"note": "Built one of the most thoughtful sovereign identity implementations on the protocol.",
	"createdAt": "2026-05-01T10:00:00.000Z"
}

`id.sifa.graph.follow`

A professional inner circle connection. Distinct from a standard Bluesky social follow (app.bsky.graph.follow). This represents a deliberate, curated professional relationship rather than a content subscription. Record key: tid
Written by: The connecting user (to their own PDS)
Read by: Verak Orbits view, professional graph tools

Field	Type	Required	Description
`subject`	string (did)	yes	DID of the professional being connected
`createdAt`	string (datetime)	yes	ISO 8601 timestamp

Note on Verak’s implementation Verak’s Orbits feature reads id.sifa.graph.follow records across all connected accounts, deduplicates by DID, and merges into a unified professional network view. Connections are always written to the primary account’s PDS only, regardless of which account surface the connection was initiated from.

Verak Lexicons (`is.verak.*`)

These are Verak’s own schemas, owned and versioned by Verak. They cover the presentation and portfolio layer that sits above the SIFA data foundation. Third-party AT Protocol clients may read these records to render Verak profile data wherever a user’s DID appears.

`is.verak.linkpage`

The primary Verak profile configuration record. Holds link page content, article display preferences, multi-network account links, and publication connections. One record per account; updated in place. Record key: singleton
Written by: Verak application (owner authenticated)
Read by: Verak profile renderer, cross-network discovery

Field	Type	Required	Description
`links`	array[object]	no	Ordered list of profile links (see link object below)
`linkedAccounts`	array[object]	no	Connected AT Protocol accounts across networks
`articles`	object	no	Article display preferences (format, pinned, hidden)
`publications`	array[object]	no	Connected Standard.site or cross-protocol publications
`updatedAt`	string (datetime)	yes	ISO 8601 timestamp of last write

Link object

Field	Type	Description
`id`	string	Unique identifier for this link
`title`	string	Display label
`url`	string (uri)	Destination URL
`description`	string	Optional subtitle (max 120 chars)
`verified`	boolean	Whether the URL has been domain-verified by Verak
`featured`	boolean	Whether to render as a featured (larger) card
`hidden`	boolean	Owner can hide without deleting

linkedAccounts object

Field	Type	Description
`did`	string (did)	DID of the linked account
`handle`	string	AT Protocol handle
`network`	string	Network name: `bluesky`, `gander`, `eurosky`, or PDS host
`isPrimary`	boolean	Whether this is the SIFA write authority account

articles object

Field	Type	Description
`format`	string	Display format: `list`, `tiles`, or `carousel`
`pinned`	array[string]	Article URIs pinned to top
`hidden`	array[string]	Article URIs hidden from public display

Important: The linkedAccounts field is what powers the cross-network verification panel on public profiles. When an owner views their own profile, Verak syncs their connected accounts into this field, making their multi-network presence publicly discoverable without any central database. Profile visitors read this field directly from the PDS.

`is.verak.portfolio.item`

A high-fidelity project or work sample card. Extends SIFA position records with editorial-grade presentation metadata, media, and tech stack information. Record key: tid
Written by: Verak application (Sovereign Pro feature)
Read by: Verak portfolio renderer, third-party AT Protocol clients

Field	Type	Required	Description
`title`	string	yes	Project or work sample title (max 100 chars)
`description`	string	yes	Project summary (max 500 chars)
`uri`	string (uri)	yes	Primary URL for the project or work
`thumb`	blob	no	Cover image. Stored on user’s PDS. Max 1MB, image/*
`techStack`	array[string]	no	Technologies, tools, or frameworks used
`associatedSifaRecord`	string	no	AT-URI of the related `id.sifa.position` record
`layoutHint`	string	no	Known values: `featured`, `standard`, `compact`
`createdAt`	string (datetime)	yes	ISO 8601 timestamp

On blob storage The thumb field references a blob stored on the user’s own PDS via com.atproto.repo.uploadBlob. Verak holds only the cryptographic blob reference (CID), not the image data itself. The blob is served directly from the user’s PDS host, ensuring the user retains full ownership of their portfolio media. Example record

{
	"$type": "is.verak.portfolio.item",
	"title": "Verak — Sovereign Professional Identity",
	"description": "A portable professional trust portfolio built natively on AT Protocol.",
	"uri": "https://verak.co",
	"techStack": ["Next.js", "AT Protocol", "Ozone", "Tailwind CSS"],
	"layoutHint": "featured",
	"createdAt": "2026-05-01T00:00:00.000Z"
}

`is.verak.networks`

Stores the connected social network handle records for cross-network identity display. Record key: singleton
Written by: Verak settings (Profile Sync flow)
Read by: Verak cross-network verification panel, public profile

Field	Type	Required	Description
`accounts`	array[object]	yes	All connected AT Protocol accounts

Account object

Field	Type	Description
`did`	string (did)	DID of the account
`handle`	string	AT Protocol handle
`network`	string	Network identifier
`pdsHost`	string (uri)	PDS host URL for blob resolution
`addedAt`	string (datetime)	ISO 8601 timestamp

`is.verak.embassy.theme`

Stores the user’s visual configuration for their Digital Embassy display layer. Record key: singleton
Written by: Verak appearance settings
Read by: Verak profile renderer

Field	Type	Required	Description
`layoutMode`	string	no	Known values: `editorial`, `grid`, `minimal`
`primaryColor`	string	no	Hex colour override for accent elements
`accentColor`	string	no	Hex colour override for trust indicators

Note: Layout mode and colour overrides are Sovereign Pro features. Free accounts render in the default Verak editorial layout.

`is.verak.endorsement` (specified, not yet live)

This lexicon is specified and planned for a future release. It is not currently written or read by the Verak application.

A Verak-native endorsement record that will supplement id.sifa.endorsement with richer metadata and Trust Gateway integration.

Field	Type	Required	Description
`subject`	string (did)	yes	DID of the person being endorsed
`skill`	string	yes	Specific skill or competency
`credentialContext`	string (uri)	no	Link to a relevant W3C VC or Open Badge supporting the claim
`relationship`	string	no	Endorser’s relationship to subject
`note`	string	no	Endorsement note (max 300 chars)
`createdAt`	string (datetime)	yes	ISO 8601 timestamp

Reading Records via XRPC

Any AT Protocol client can read Verak lexicon records from a user’s PDS without authentication. The standard XRPC call is:

GET {pds-host}/xrpc/com.atproto.repo.getRecord
  ?repo={did}
  &collection={lexicon-id}
  &rkey={record-key}

Example: reading a user’s link page

GET https://bsky.social/xrpc/com.atproto.repo.getRecord
  ?repo=did:plc:example
  &collection=is.verak.linkpage
  &rkey=self

Example: listing all portfolio items

GET https://bsky.social/xrpc/com.atproto.repo.listRecords
  ?repo=did:plc:example
  &collection=is.verak.portfolio.item
  &limit=50

The PDS host for any DID can be resolved via the PLC directory:

GET https://plc.directory/{did}

The service array in the response contains the PDS endpoint.

Blob Resolution

Portfolio images and other media assets are stored as blobs on the user’s PDS. To construct a blob URL from a record reference:

{pds-host}/xrpc/com.atproto.sync.getBlob?did={did}&cid={blob-cid}

Verak’s blobUrl() helper in lib/atproto.js constructs this automatically from any blob ref, using the pdsHost stored alongside the record.

Versioning and Stability

Lexicon	Status	Notes
`id.sifa.profile`	Stable	Open standard, versioned by SIFA
`id.sifa.position`	Stable	Open standard, versioned by SIFA
`id.sifa.education`	Stable	Open standard, versioned by SIFA
`id.sifa.endorsement`	Stable	Open standard, versioned by SIFA
`id.sifa.graph.follow`	Stable	Open standard, versioned by SIFA
`is.verak.linkpage`	Stable	Active, written by current Verak app
`is.verak.portfolio.item`	Stable	Active, Sovereign Pro feature
`is.verak.networks`	Stable	Active, written by Profile Sync
`is.verak.embassy.theme`	Stable	Active, appearance settings
`is.verak.endorsement`	Planned	Not yet implemented

Publishing a lexicon implies a stability commitment. Verak will not make breaking changes to a stable is.verak.* schema without a major version increment and a minimum 90-day migration window. Additive fields (new optional properties) are non-breaking and may be added at any time.

Data Sovereignty Notice

All records in both namespaces are stored exclusively on the user’s Personal Data Server. Verak is a stateless display layer. It reads from and writes to the user’s PDS via authenticated XRPC calls. No record data is stored on Verak infrastructure. Users can export all Verak-associated records at any time via Settings → Data & Export. Disconnecting a PDS account removes Verak’s access instantly. The records themselves remain on the PDS under the user’s full control.

​Lexicon Reference

​The SIFA Standard (id.sifa.*)

​id.sifa.profile

​id.sifa.position

​id.sifa.education

​id.sifa.endorsement

​id.sifa.graph.follow

​Verak Lexicons (is.verak.*)

​is.verak.linkpage

​is.verak.portfolio.item

​is.verak.networks

​is.verak.embassy.theme

​is.verak.endorsement (specified, not yet live)

​Reading Records via XRPC

​Blob Resolution

​Versioning and Stability

​Data Sovereignty Notice

Lexicon Reference

The SIFA Standard (`id.sifa.*`)

`id.sifa.profile`

`id.sifa.position`

`id.sifa.education`

`id.sifa.endorsement`

`id.sifa.graph.follow`

Verak Lexicons (`is.verak.*`)

`is.verak.linkpage`

`is.verak.portfolio.item`

`is.verak.networks`

`is.verak.embassy.theme`

`is.verak.endorsement` (specified, not yet live)

Reading Records via XRPC

Blob Resolution

Versioning and Stability

Data Sovereignty Notice