07 — PIPs · PIP-0001
PIP purpose and guidelines
What a PATH Improvement Proposal is, who may open one, and what each status means.
- Number
- PIP-0001
- Status
- implemented
- Type
- Process
- Author
- PATH
- Date
- 2026-09-09
- Source
- On the register
What a PIP is
A PATH Improvement Proposal is a public request to change the protocol, to record a convention, or to refuse a change on purpose. It is not a vote, and it is not admission to a network.
PATH publishes the register of PIPs. The team studies what is opened. A status of Approved is not a seat in a directory, and a status of Implemented is not a product launch. It means the formats, or the process, moved.
Who may open one
Anyone. The form asks for a name, a work email, a type, a short abstract, and the proposal as Markdown. A downloadable example draft is at /assets/pips/PIP-DRAFT.example.md. Opening a PIP places it on this register as Draft. PATH replies. It does not promise a merge.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Received. The text may still change. |
| Proposed | The author considers it ready for study. |
| Under review | PATH is reading it against the specification. |
| Approved | The change is accepted. It is not yet in a dated protocol version unless Implemented says so. |
| Implemented | The changelog records what moved. |
| Backlog | Accepted as work, not scheduled. |
| Refused | Studied and declined. The page stays, so the refusal is public. |
| Cancelled | The author withdrew it. |
Types
Core changes a signed format, an error meaning, or a pillar. Networking changes how a directory or Finder behaves. Interface changes a URI, a discovery document, or a reading algorithm. Informational records a fact without requiring a bump. Process changes how PIPs themselves work. Meta is about this register.
What a PIP is not
It is not a support ticket. It is not a way into Open Connect. It is not a substitute for a security report — those go to security@pathprotocol.dev, not here.
A PIP that describes identifier hashing as zero knowledge will be refused. The pepper is server-side until a network ships oblivious hashing.