Content Status Model
VibeGov content has different authority levels.
Use this model when you need to know whether a page is a source of truth, recommended practice, a machine-readable asset, a runtime-specific profile, or explanatory context.
Status labels
| Label | What it means | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Canonical contract | Must be treated as source of truth for the behavior it defines. If another page disagrees, follow the canonical contract and raise the drift. | agent.txt, bootstrap.json, Bootstrap |
| Published governance rule | Stable published rule documentation generated from the active GOV rule set. Use it as rule-level guidance, while preserving the underlying .governance/rules/*.mdc files as installable repo-local sources. | Published GOV pages |
| Operational guide | Recommended practice for running VibeGov well. These pages may evolve as the operating model improves. | Execution Modes, Checkpoint Reporting, Blocker Escalation |
| Role pack | Machine-readable agent role bootstrap assets. Role packs define role-specific operating context, but they do not replace the canonical bootstrap contract or GOV rules. | Agent Roles, /roles/index.json, role manifests |
| Runtime-specific profile | Provider or harness guidance that translates VibeGov into a specific runtime shape. Profiles are optional adapters/examples, not core governance law. | Codex Harness Profile, Minimal Claude Harness Profile |
| Blog / commentary | Explanatory context, release notes, or opinionated narrative. Useful for understanding, but not a current contract. | Blog posts and public commentary |
How to resolve conflicts
When surfaces disagree, use this order:
- canonical contract
- published governance rule
- role pack or runtime profile, only inside its stated scope
- operational guide
- blog/commentary
If a lower-authority page appears to contradict a higher-authority source, do not silently merge the two. Treat it as documentation drift and raise an issue with the conflicting links.
Lightweight use
This model is a reader aid, not extra process.
Add a status label when it prevents confusion about authority, portability, or freshness. Do not label every paragraph or create status bureaucracy around obvious supporting text.