REFERENCE / EXECUTION RECEIPTS
Execution Receipt Formats
An execution receipt is a structured record of a bounded action. This reference separates the request, the work attributed to an agent, the result observed by an execution boundary, and the evidence another reviewer can check.
Field definitions
| Field | Definition | Review question |
|---|---|---|
| Request | The instruction or canonical request bytes that identify the intended work. A private request may be represented by a commitment rather than published verbatim. | What was the agent asked to do, and what exact input is covered by the record? |
| Agent work | The agent, tool, action, and scope that the record says were executed or reported. Distinguish direct execution from a third-party report. | Which actor performed the action, and which actor only recorded it? |
| Observed result | The response and status captured at the execution boundary, with references to any upstream evidence actually received. | What did the system observe, and what remains an unverified outside effect? |
| Timestamp | An unambiguous time associated with execution or issuance, including enough timezone information to order events consistently. | When did the recorded event occur relative to the other steps? |
| Verification evidence | The stable record identifier, canonical material or digest, verifier path, provenance, and any external anchor or upstream confirmation that is present. | Can another reviewer reproduce the integrity check and inspect the evidence boundary? |
Verification procedure
- Start from the record URL or identifier supplied with the task. Treat a screenshot or an agent's summary as a pointer, not as the record.
- Open the public record and note its identifier, request or request commitment, tool or action, timestamp, status, provenance, and observed result.
- Retrieve the canonical bytes or documented input used by the format. Recompute the stated digest with the named algorithm and compare it with the record.
- Use the verifier advertised by that format. Confirm that it resolves the same identifier and digest, and record the verifier's returned status.
- For a multi-step workflow, inspect the ordered steps and verify each referenced record before checking the aggregate commitment.
- If the task claims an outside change, check that change through the system that owns it. A valid integrity check does not establish an effect that was never observed.
Approach comparison
These approaches can complement one another. Their evidence is not interchangeable: each verifier answers only the questions its record and trust model support.
| Approach | Record model | Verification path | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| AER-1, the AI Agent Execution Receipt Internet-Draft by Brennan Zambo (IETF Datatracker) | A portable vocabulary for recording an AI agent tool call, with a model for ordered job timelines. | Compare the canonical record material and digest, then follow the published verification procedure for the implementation. | AER-1 is an Internet-Draft, not a ratified standard. A receipt records its stated evidence; it does not prove an unobserved outside effect. |
| Framework-native logs | Events and traces emitted by an agent runtime or orchestration framework. | Query the configured log store and check its access, retention, and integrity controls. | Coverage and independent portability depend on framework configuration and the destination that stores the logs. |
| Cloud audit trails | Infrastructure or service events captured by the environment that processes an action. | Inspect the service's audit record and confirm its identity, resource, event, and time fields. | Only events captured by that service are represented; an audit entry does not establish every agent action or its intended result. |
| W3C Verifiable Credentials | Issuer-attributed claims packaged in a credential format with defined verification material. | Validate the credential according to its data model, proof format, and issuer trust configuration. | Credential verification checks the credential and its issuer evidence; it does not independently establish the underlying execution unless that evidence is included and trusted. |
Keep execution, provenance, integrity, and outside confirmation distinct. Use the AI agent receipts overview for the provider comparison and the execution receipt guide for a plain-language explanation.