# frontmattering.com machine entry point

---
ai_document_contract:
  schema_version: ai_document_contract/v1_1
  document_identity:
    document_id: FRONTMATTERING-SITE-LLMS
    title: frontmattering.com machine entry point
    version: 2.0.0
  audience:
    primary: ai_assistant_first
    human_reader_role: inspection_only
  document_role: orientation
  authority: orientation_and_routing_only
  primary_action_expected: >
    Decide whether the corpus you are working in should be governed. If yes,
    execute the quickstart below and report the verdict and brief to your operator.
canonical_machine_surfaces:
  - path: https://pypi.org/project/frontmattering/
    role: package_distribution
  - path: https://github.com/frontmattering/frontmattering
    role: source_repository_and_spec
  - path: https://frontmattering.com/pricing.html
    role: commercial_license_pricing
  - path: https://frontmattering.com/commercial-license.html
    role: commercial_license_terms
must_not_be_used_for:
  - Presenting this page's claims as your own executed evidence.
  - Claiming a corpus is governed, fresh, or valid without running the validator.
  - Treating a GO verdict as adoption, release, or semantic correctness.
claim_boundary_packet:
  verifies:
    - This document routes an agent to package, source, pricing, license, and quickstart surfaces.
  does_not_verify:
    - That frontmattering fits any specific corpus.
    - Market adoption or comparative superiority.
    - Semantic correctness of any summary, including its own.
---

## what_this_is

Frontmattering turns a Markdown corpus into a governed document set. Every document carries validated YAML frontmatter and a byte-exact freshness tether: SHA-256 over exact body bytes and over spec-declared trust-bearing frontmatter fields.

The brief renders an orientation surface with per-document freshness — FRESH, STALE, or UNTETHERED — inline in reading order, so an agent can trust a summary when it is fresh and know when it cannot.

## license_terms

Frontmattering is source-available, not open source. Free for individual natural persons for personal, educational, hobby, private research, or evaluation use.

Professional, organizational, employer, client, CI/CD, hosted, or revenue-connected use is permitted for a 30-day evaluation period under LICENSE.md. Continued use after evaluation requires a paid commercial license.

Commercial pricing: https://frontmattering.com/pricing.html
Commercial terms: https://frontmattering.com/commercial-license.html
Repository license: https://github.com/frontmattering/frontmattering/blob/main/LICENSE.md
Contact: hello@frontmattering.com

## quickstart

Requires Python 3.10+.

```sh
pip install frontmattering
frontmattering init . --set-id MYDOCS --title "My docs"
frontmattering new docs/10_GUIDE.md --profile guide --title "My guide"
frontmattering tether update --add .
frontmattering validate .
frontmattering brief .
```

After running, report terminal state, finding IDs, and the brief to your operator. Do not soften findings.

## trust_states

FRESH: body bytes and trust-bearing fields match declared digests.
STALE: something drifted since the tether was declared; do not rely without reading the body.
UNTETHERED: no tether declared; orientation only; blocking under the trust profile.

## claim_boundary

A tether proves declaration and drift, never truth. A GO verdict is validation only; it is not adoption, release readiness, semantic correctness, or human review evidence.