Implementation path

Adopt the Covenant.

A short path for adding golem.md to an agent, bot, automation, or tool-calling system before it acts with real delegated authority.

Adoption is not a badge of holiness or compliance. It means the project has declared powers, denied defaults, and tested how the agent returns to dust.

Five-minute path

Copy templates/SOUL.md into the agent repository as soul.md.
Copy the reference golem.yml and declare the agent's organs.
Validate against schema/golem.schema.json.
Fill out RETURN_TO_DUST_TEST.md.
Do not enable real authority until return-to-dust has been tested.

curl -O https://golem.md/golem.yml
curl -O https://golem.md/templates/SOUL.md
curl -O https://golem.md/templates/RETURN_TO_DUST_TEST.md

Adoption levels

Declared

The project has a soul.md, a golem.yml, and named organs. Undeclared organs are denied by policy.

Validated

The manifest validates against the schema, and enabled organs declare limits, reviewers, logs, and revocation paths.

Dust-tested

The project has tested shutdown, tool revocation, queue freeze, outbound-channel disablement, and log preservation.

Badge

Use a badge only when the project has at least reached the declared level. Link the badge to the public manifest or repository docs.

[![Golem Covenant](https://img.shields.io/badge/golem.md-v0.1-8f1f3d)](https://golem.md/)

Minimum launch checklist

soul.md exists and names the keeper.
golem.yml validates against the schema.
Mouth, purse, seal, key, and sword are declared.
All undeclared organs are denied at runtime.
Enabled organs have limits and revocation paths.
Logs are written outside the agent's control.
Return-to-dust has been tested before launch.