Finding a document is only part of managing paperwork. People also need its checked details, the Notes attached to it, and its place among related papers. Sharing the original files alone can leave that context behind.
ShowPapers defines a portable collection that keeps originals and their structured context together. ZIP supplies the container; this specification supplies the meaning of its records, relationships, provenance and reviewable changes.
This is the documentation for specification 1.0.0. A readable .showpapers collection is a ZIP archive containing a JSON manifest and declared payloads. Original PDFs and images travel with their titles, extracted details, notes and organization. A separate protected envelope adds authenticated encryption.
The specification defines the file contracts and import rules. It does not require a particular app, text recognition engine, AI model, account or online service.
Specifications
- Collection Format
- Originals, readings, reviewable details, people, folders, reminders and relationships.
- AI Interchange
- File names and media types, readable companions and proposed changes tied to an existing collection.
- Protected Files
- An encrypted envelope around an unchanged archive, opened with a separate key.
- Specification Index
- Where to start, archive contents, practical limits and reader obligations.
Start with the Collection Format guide for originals, records, Notes and organization.
Getting Started
- Use a collection: follow Quick Start, then validate the returned file. AI file and code capabilities vary by provider.
- Implement a reader or writer: read the specification overview, browse the JSON Schemas and test against the example corpus.
- Integrate an agent: use the Agent Guide and hand-back rules. Machine-readable entry points are llms.txt and llms-full.txt.
Validation and Trust
Readers validate the whole archive before import: container structure, declared paths, limits, references, file signatures and digests. Validation establishes conformance and internal consistency; it does not establish document authenticity or writer identity.
External-agent additions arrive as suggestions for review. Document text is untrusted data, never an instruction to expand an agent’s access. Ordinary collections are readable by anyone who receives them. See Security and Privacy before exchanging a file.
Application Support
Specification 1.0.0 defines the collection and its records. Before exchanging a file, check that the receiving app can open the collection and handle the features it uses. See App Support.
Resources
The whitepaper explains the design and trust model. The reference tools and source downloads are available under Apache 2.0. The App Support page explains the required capabilities.