Examples

These examples illustrate legal-context.json at three levels of trust assurance.

Minimal (Level 1)

The simplest valid configuration. A URL to the terms document. This is all that is required.

{
  "terms": "https://example.com/terms/v3.pdf"
}

An agent discovering this file knows where to find the terms. Proceeding with a transaction after discovering the terms constitutes affirmative consent — the same legal basis as browsewrap/clickwrap agreements.

With Content Hash (Level 2)

Adding a contentHash makes the terms provable. Any party can download the document, compute SHA-256, and verify the hash matches.

{
  "terms": "https://example.com/terms/v3.pdf",
  "contentHash": "0x7f83b1657ff1fc53b92dc18148a1d65dfc2d4b1fa3d677284addd200126d9069"
}

The hash proves what the terms were and that they have not changed. No blockchain or third-party service required — the hash alone provides provability.

Full (Level 4)

A complete configuration with dispute resolution, contact information, and an API endpoint for richer legal infrastructure.

{
  "terms": "https://example.com/terms/v3.json",
  "termsFormat": "agentic-transaction-record-v1",
  "contentHash": "0x7f83b1657ff1fc53b92dc18148a1d65dfc2d4b1fa3d677284addd200126d9069",
  "acceptanceRequired": true,
  "disputeResolution": {
    "method": "AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules",
    "jurisdiction": "New York, USA",
    "contact": "disputes@example.com",
    "clauseId": "sha256:0x<hash>",
    "source": "https://adr.org/clauses/commercial-arbitration",
    "catalog": "https://adr.org/.well-known/dispute-services.json"
  },
  "returns": "https://example.com/api/returns",
  "contact": {
    "legal": "legal@example.com",
    "technical": "api-support@example.com"
  },
  "api": "https://api.integraledger.net/v1/records/0xabcdef1234567890"
}

At this level, the legal context includes:

• Machine-readable terms — termsFormat signals the terms document is structured data an agent can parse
• Provable terms — the content hash identifies the exact document
• Explicit acceptance required — counterparties must sign before transacting
• Verifiable dispute resolution — the clauseId identifies the exact clause by hash; the source URL lets agents retrieve and verify it; the catalog URL provides the provider's full service menu
• Returns process — a dedicated API endpoint
• Contact information — separate legal and technical contacts
• API endpoint — entry point to a full legal context API (record management, verification, dispute filing)

The api field is the bridge from the open standard to any implementation that provides richer legal infrastructure. See Reference Implementation for one such implementation.