UNIVERSITY · 9 LESSONS · 46 TERMS · SPEC STATUS CHECKED SEPTEMBER 2026
Agent readiness university: glossary and lessons
Short lessons for the web, growth or product lead who needs the basics before the standards pages.
Agent Readiness Compare editors · Spec status checked September 2026
Answer
Nine short lessons in three tracks. Basics covers the five layers, how agents read a page and how sites recognise agents. Choosing tools covers testing versus fixing tools, how to read a score, and file checks versus task runs. Running it covers a first task test, avoiding regressions and an AI crawler policy. Keep the glossary open for terms.
1.Which lessons are there?
Track 1. Basics 9 min
LESSON 1 · 3 MIN
The five layers of agent readiness
Discover, read, act, pay and trust: what each layer asks and which standards address it.
LESSON 2 · 3 MIN
How AI agents read a web page: HTML, markdown and llms.txt
HTML, markdown negotiation and llms.txt, and what to check first.
LESSON 3 · 3 MIN
How websites recognise AI agents: user agents, robots.txt and signed requests
User agents, robots.txt and signed requests, and which of them is verification.
Track 2. Choosing tools 12 min
LESSON 4 · 4 MIN
Testing tools and fixing tools: the two kinds of agent readiness tool
Why a scanner and a CDN feature are not substitutes, and the seven jobs we compare tools on.
LESSON 5 · 4 MIN
How to read an agent readiness score
What goes into a score, why to read the layers first, and what a score cannot tell you.
LESSON 6 · 4 MIN
File checks and task runs: two ways to test agent readiness
What a file check proves, what a task run proves, and why you need both.
Track 3. Running it 14 min
LESSON 7 · 5 MIN
How to run your first agent task test
One task, four page checks and a written record of where the agent stopped.
LESSON 8 · 4 MIN
Keeping agent readiness from regressing
What usually breaks after launch, and how CI checks, re-tests and a dated log catch it.
LESSON 9 · 5 MIN
Setting a policy for AI crawlers and agents
Training, search and assistants as three separate decisions, and how to express and enforce each.
2.Where is the glossary?
The agent readiness glossary defines 46 terms, from A2A to x402, with a link to the source standard where a term comes from one.
3.What should you read after the lessons?
- Standards: eight standards, each with status, maintainer and limits.
- Checklist: 24 checks across five layers.
- Dispatches: longer articles on recent changes.
- News: dated announcements with links to the source.
- FAQ: 24 short answers, grouped by theme.