Agent Network Protocol
Also called ANP
An open protocol proposal for agents to find, identify and talk to each other across the internet, using decentralised identity rather than a central registry.
What is the Agent Network Protocol?
The Agent Network Protocol (ANP) is an open-source protocol that aims to let AI agents on different sites and services discover each other, prove who they are and communicate securely. It is developed by an open-source community, and some of its specifications are still drafts.
How does it work?
ANP's identity layer builds on W3C decentralised identifiers (DIDs), a web standard for identities that are not tied to one provider. An agent presents its identity, other agents verify it, and they then exchange messages using an agreed format. The aim is an open network of agents, similar to how the web connects sites.
What is a simple example?
A shopping agent finds a seller's agent it has never dealt with, checks that it is the one it claims to be, and then negotiates a delivery time, without either being on the same platform.
Why does it matter?
If agents are to work across company boundaries, they need ways to identify each other that no single vendor controls. ANP is one proposal for that, alongside the Agent2Agent protocol.