# PIP-0001 · PIP purpose and guidelines

What a PATH Improvement Proposal is, who may open one, and what each status means.

## 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.