Standard
A rule for how work is done: coding, security, testing, compliance, definition of ready or done.
What it is
A standard is a rule that applies to all work of a kind, not to one feature: every endpoint that returns patient data logs access; every story has an end-to-end test; no secrets in code.
Why it matters
Standards are how an organisation keeps quality without reviewing everything by hand. They are written once and applied everywhere, and exceptions are visible.
What goes wrong without it
- Each team, and each agent session, invents its own rules.
- Security and compliance depend on who happened to write the code.
- Reviews argue about style instead of substance.
What it gives an AI agent
Agents follow the rules they are given and invent their own otherwise. Standards give every agent session the same rules, and account-wide standards reach every project without being copied.
Example: Clinic Booking
| Weak | Strong |
|---|---|
| Be careful with logs. | Every request that reads patient data writes an access log entry with who, what and when; logs never contain the data itself. |
How it relates to the rest
- Account-wide standards apply to every project.
- A project documents an exception with an accepted decision that waives the standard.
In Corpole
- Type Standard (STD). Statuses: Draft, Active, Retired.
- People write standards; agents read them with
get_standards.