WebMEM™

The Protocol for Structuring, Delivering, and Conditioning Trust-Scored AI Memory on the Open Web

Semantic Data Template

Semantic Data Template (SDT) is the canonical delivery container for embedding WebMEM trust-scored memory fragments inside HTML documents. It uses the HTML5 <template> element as a non-rendered, machine-ingestible structure that aligns visible content with its authoritative, structured representation.

🧠 Full Definition

Within the WebMEM Protocol, a Semantic Data Template is the formal transport layer for Memory Fragments. Each SDT instance encapsulates one or more fragments — such as DefinedTermFragments, DataFragments, or ExplainerFragments — using a standardized attribute set and embedded YAML content. This pairing ensures each fragment is:

  • Uniquely addressable via data-fragment-id and data-entity
  • Aligned to the correct Glossary Scope and Fragment Scope
  • Bound to a Provenance Layer for trust verification
  • Retrievable without DOM inference or client-side execution

📜 Role in the WebMEM Protocol

The SDT specification defines how <template> elements act as inert, AI-readable capsules for structured knowledge. It provides:

  • A normative field and attribute schema for fragment metadata
  • Encapsulation rules for YAML-based fragment bodies
  • Cross-linking support to external structured endpoints (TTL, JSON-LD, PROV)
  • Guaranteed compatibility with retrieval agents, indexing bots, and AI context loaders

In protocol terms, SDTs form the page-level binding layer between the Publishing Surface and the Retrieval Interface.

⚙️ How It Works

An SDT is declared like this:

<template
  id="fragment-gtd-definedterm-part-b-premium"
  data-sdt-class="DefinedTermFragment"
  data-type="text/yaml"
  data-entity="gtd:part_b_premium"
  data-digest="webmem-glossary-2025"
  data-glossary-scope="gtd"
  data-fragment-scope="glossary"
  data-provenance-ref="#prov-part-b-premium">

definition: >
  Part B Premium is the monthly amount paid by Medicare beneficiaries for
  Medicare Part B coverage. The premium amount is set annually by CMS.

related_terms:
  - gtd:medicare_part_b
  - gtd:premium
  - gtd:cms

ProvenanceMeta:
  ID: prov-part-b-premium
  Source: CMS.gov
  Retrieved: 2025-01-15

</template>

💡 Why It Matters

Semantic Data Templates are not generic markup — they are a protocol-bound memory transport mechanism. They allow AI retrieval systems to:

  • Ingest authoritative, fragment-scoped facts without parsing the visible DOM
  • Verify provenance inline and at the fragment level
  • Resolve vocabulary alignment through Glossary Scope identifiers
  • Load fragments into retrieval contexts without schema inference

🌐 WebMEM Perspective

As a normative component, SDTs ensure that all WebMEM-compliant publishers deliver memory fragments in a consistent, agent-readable format. They enable deterministic retrieval, reduce ambiguity in AI interpretation, and serve as the universal “container interface” between content authors and autonomous retrieval systems.

🗣️ In Speech

“In WebMEM, a Semantic Data Template is the shipping crate for your facts — built to spec, labeled for AI, and ready for retrieval.”

🔗 Related Terms