signed absence
A signed statement that something was looked for and not found, naming exactly what was requested, the answer received, from where and when, and what the absence does and does not mean. A timeout, an error or a challenge page is never recorded as an absence.
What signed absence means
It turns 'there is no llms.txt' from an assumption into a checkable claim with a scope.
Where signed absence comes up on this site
- How an AI agent should verify a website before acting on it“This site publishes no agent card” is a finding only if you record where you looked and what came back, which is what a signed absence does.
Terms this definition uses
Related terms in Proof and provenance
Showing a record existed at a date without asking anyone to trust us.
transparency log · signed tree head · inclusion proof · log witness · split-view attack · cite-as link · as-of answer · citation anchor · canonical origin · threshold verdict · OpenTimestamps · anchoring · Content hash · Manifest tampering · C2PA · CAWG training and data mining assertion · content-addressed storage · Merkle tree · SHA-256 · daily seal · byline · dateline · trust center
Questions about signed absence
What is signed absence?
A signed statement that something was looked for and not found, naming exactly what was requested, the answer received, from where and when, and what the absence does and does not mean. A timeout, an error or a challenge page is never recorded as an absence.
What does signed absence not show or guarantee?
A signed statement that something was looked for and not found, naming exactly what was requested, the answer received, from where and when, and what the absence does and does not mean. A timeout, an error or a challenge page is never recorded as an absence.
Which area of the glossary does signed absence belong to?
Proof and provenance: Showing a record existed at a date without asking anyone to trust us.
← canonical origin · threshold verdict →
See it in the full glossary · 731 terms across 19 areas.