Guide
The Carrierfile format, explained
Short answer
A Carrierfile is a UTF-8 plain-text file that starts with a CARRIERFILE/2.0 header and has a fixed set of ## sections: Protocol, The Human, The Agent, How We Work, an optional Writing Voice, Projects, Tone, Memory, Log, and Portability. The Protocol section tells any AI how to read the file and what the commands (unpack, pack up) mean, so no app or plugin is needed.
Design principles
- Plain text, forever. Readable by any AI and by you. No hidden or encoded instructions; the power is in the transparency.
- Owned by a human. The file is the owner’s property. Changes go through the owner’s approval.
- Model-agnostic. Nothing in the file depends on one AI product.
A shortened example
CARRIERFILE/2.0
ENCODING: UTF-8
OWNER: Jane Smith
CASTLE:
UPDATED: 2026-08-05
This file is Jane Smith's portable context. It works with any LLM.
Paste it into a new conversation. Type "unpack" to load. That's it.
---
## Protocol
(how the AI should read the file, commands, and rules)
---
## The Human
name: Jane Smith
city: Portland, OR
bio: Community herbalist and garden educator.
---
## The Agent
name: Sage
identity:
---
## How We Work
* Direct and honest, flag tradeoffs, don't just execute
---
## Projects
focus: Expanding the workshop program.
---
## Tone
Active: Generalist
Available: Generalist, Strategist, Editor
---
## Memory
### Memories
mem_001 [Work,Project] I run workshops at a neighborhood land trust.
---
## Log
2026-08-05 | File created, Generated at carrierfile.ai
---
## Portability
This file is plain text and platform-neutral, forever.The sections
Header
The version line (CARRIERFILE/2.0), encoding, owner, an optional castle name, and the date last updated, followed by a two-line note telling any AI what the file is.
Protocol
Instructions for the AI: read the whole file before responding, adopt the active tone, and follow the commands. It also sets rules, like never storing passwords, account numbers, or medical records, and outputting the complete file on pack up.
The Human
Name, city, a short bio, and optionally an email.
The Agent
A name for your AI collaborator. The identity line is left blank on purpose: the agent writes its own at first unpack.
How We Work
Working-style rules, such as “Direct and honest, flag tradeoffs.”
Writing Voice (optional)
Rules for writing in your voice, if you want the AI to draft for you.
Projects
Your current focus and active projects.
Tone
The active tone and the available presets (for example Generalist, Strategist, Editor, Builder). Each preset describes a role, working style, working relationship, and how to open a session. Make your own with the Tuner.
Memory
A memory protocol, a tag registry, and the memories themselves. Each memory is one first-person sentence with an ID and tags, like mem_001 [Work,Project] I run workshops at a neighborhood land trust. New memories are proposed, never saved silently. Past 30 memories, the AI suggests “composting”: merging old items into fewer, richer ones.
Log
One line per session, keeping the last 15: date | topic -- key points.
Portability
A fixed statement that the file is plain text and platform-neutral, and that every “homecoming” from another AI gets a health check.
Commands
unpack: load the file, run a health check, apply the tone, confirm ready.pack up: propose memories from the session, update the log, output the complete file.switch to [name]/new key: change tone preset.show keyslists them.remember this: draft a memory now, for your approval.tidy up: review memories and flag stale or duplicate ones.
License
The builder code is MIT licensed and the content is CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. You’re free to write a Carrierfile by hand, edit it in any text editor, or build tools around it.
Questions people ask
What is a Carrierfile?
A Carrierfile is a free, open, plain-text file format that gives any AI assistant persistent context about you: who you are, what you are working on, and how you want the AI to behave.
Can I write a Carrierfile by hand?
Yes. It is plain text. The builder at carrierfile.ai just makes it faster and fills in the Protocol and Memory sections for you.
What file extension does a Carrierfile use?
A plain .txt file works everywhere. The builder names it CARRIERFILE-yourname.txt by default.
Why does the file include instructions for the AI?
So it works in any AI with no plugin or app. The Protocol section explains the commands and rules in plain language every model can follow.
Build your Carrierfile. It takes about five minutes, runs entirely in your browser, and works in any AI. Free, no account.
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