IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority), the organization that manages global Internet protocol resources, has officially registered application/vnd.faf+yaml as a recognized media type. This places .faf alongside established Internet standards like PDF, JSON, and XML.
📧 Official IANA Notification
Dear James,
We've registered the following media type:
application/vnd.faf+yaml
Please see http://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types
What This Means
IANA registration is not a formality - it's recognition that a format has achieved Internet-scale significance. This is the same body that registered:
application/pdf- PDF documentsapplication/json- JSON datatext/xml- XML documentsimage/jpeg- JPEG imagesapplication/vnd.faf+yaml- FAF AI context (just added)
The vnd. prefix designates this as a vendor-specific media type - formats developed by organizations that have proven their utility and adoption in production environments.
From Desktop Frustration to Internet Standard
Format Created
Born from frustration with Claude Desktop forgetting project context. Created .faf as universal AI context format.
Developer Platform Launch
fafdev.tools and faf-engine-mk1 launched. Developer tools and engine testing platform go live. Built with Svelte 5 runes.
First Google Approval
".faf - AI-Context⚡️Fast AF" v1.0.2 approved and published to Chrome Web Store. Google security review passed.
MCP Server Launch
claude-faf-mcp v2.0.0 published to npm. First persistent project context server for Claude Desktop.
CLI Launch
faf-cli v2.1.0 published to npm. Format discovery engine (TURBO-CAT) processes 153+ framework types.
Anthropic MCP Registry Approval
claude-faf-mcp merged into official Anthropic MCP Registry (PR #2759). Official endorsement achieved.
Second Google Approval + 10k Downloads
"Stack⚡️Grabber" v1.6.0 approved and published to Chrome Web Store. Same day: ecosystem reaches 10k milestone.
IANA Registration
application/vnd.faf+yaml officially registered by IANA. Internet standard status achieved.
Technical Specification
Media Type
application/vnd.faf+yamlFile Extension
.fafFormat
YAML with structured frontmatter + markdown content
Purpose
Persistent project context for AI development tools
The +yaml suffix indicates .faf files are YAML-based, enabling standard YAML parsers to process them while the vnd.faf designation ensures AI tools recognize the semantic structure.
How to Use: project.faf in Its Rightful Place
project.faf sits exactly where it belongs in your project structure - between package.json (dependencies) and README.md (human documentation). It's the README for AI.
"README evolution for AI era"
project.faf in its rightful place - between dependencies and human docs
During BIG-3 Testing (Claude Anthropic, OpenAI Codex, Google Gemini) in September 2025, Google Gemini CLI rated .faf at 9.5/10, recognizing it as the natural evolution of README.md for the AI era. Just as package.json tells tools about dependencies, project.faf tells AI about your entire project in machine-readable YAML with 🍜 noodles as the creator says.
Quadruple Validation: Google (2x), Anthropic, IANA
IANA Registration
Official Internet media type alongside PDF, JSON, XML
✓ Oct 31, 2025
Anthropic MCP
Merged into official Model Context Protocol registry
✓ Oct 17, 2025
Google Chrome (First)
.faf - AI-Context⚡️Fast AF v1.0.2
✓ Sep 11, 2025
Google Chrome (Second)
Stack⚡️Grabber v1.6.0
✓ Oct 29, 2025
Ecosystem Status
"AI context needed a file format. Not a product, not a tool - a format. IANA registration confirms what we knew from day one: persistent project context belongs at the protocol level, not the application level."
What's Next
IANA registration enables:
- HTTP Content-Type headers: Web servers can properly identify .faf files
- API standardization: RESTful APIs can exchange .faf context with proper MIME types
- Browser recognition: Browsers treat .faf files as first-class format
- Tool integration: IDEs, editors, and AI tools can register as .faf handlers
- Email attachments: Email clients properly handle .faf files
This is infrastructure. The format works today across Claude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code, Cursor, and any terminal. IANA registration ensures it continues working for decades.
Resources
Media Contact
Email: team@faf.one
Website: faf.one
GitHub: github.com/Wolfe-Jam/faf
About .faf
.faf (Foundational AI-context Format) is the first persistent project context format for AI development tools. Created on August 8, 2025, .faf provides universal, shareable AI context that works across Claude, Cursor, VS Code, and any AI tool. The format is free, open source (MIT), and now officially registered by IANA.
30 Years of Format Design Expertise
.faf didn't emerge from nowhere - it's the culmination of three decades of format design experience.
.iff Format Obsession
Fell for Commodore Amiga's .iff (Interchange File Format). Became obsessed with understanding what makes formats elegant, enduring, and adoptable.
Carpet Industry 3D Simulation Format
Created complex 3D simulation format for the Carpet Industry. Still in daily use today - proving that well-designed formats outlast trends and companies.
AI Discovery
Got interested in AI development. Immediately recognized the context problem through the lens of 20+ years of format expertise.
Active AI Development
Building AI tools and projects. Experiencing context frustration firsthand. Drawing on decades of format knowledge to solve it.
August 8, 2025: .faf Created
Applied 30 years of format expertise to AI's context problem. Got it right immediately - not luck, but experience.
"AI needed a format, it got one: .faf. This wasn't a lucky guess - it was three decades of format design expertise compressed into one solution. From .iff to Carpet Industry simulations to AI context, I've been preparing for this moment for 30 years."
The Origin: August 8, 2024
This is the moment .faf was born - a celebration modal from the Chrome Extension showing "You Just Created THE Standard!" The screenshot captures the exact moment a format became reality.
August 8, 2024 - The day .faf became the Universal AI Context Format