From Desktop Frustration to Internet Standard in 3 Months

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by wolfejam.dev

.faf Officially Registered by IANA as application/vnd.faf+yaml

IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority) officially registered .faf as application/vnd.faf+yaml – the first AI context format with official MIME type designation. It sits alongside PDF, JPEG, XML, JSON, and HTTP itself as an internet standard.

What is .faf?

.faf stands for Foundational AI-context Format –

A file format for persistent AI project context. One project.faf file (sits with package.json and README) in your repo gives AI assistants complete project understanding – tech stack, architecture, dependencies, conventions.

Works with Claude Desktop (MCP), Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Warp – any AI tool that can read files.

The Problem

Most projects have 40-60% AI-context at best. At 55% you’re flipping a coin with AI at every decision. AI assistants don’t understand your project, explanations don’t persist, context is lost. Projects suffer, run late, many fail. AI can’t help you effectively.

The Solution

AI needed a format, it got one. .faf brings your project to a minimum of 85-99% (recommended) AI-context. Simply put: the closer you get to 100%, the more AI can actually help you. At 99/100, AI is optimized.

It’s the only format-driven solution for persistent context provided at the foundational layer. It’s not claude.md, not an afterthought. They do an important but different job—.faf defines, Claude interprets.

.faf lives in git with your code, survives across sessions and tools. It provides foundational facts to any AI like package.json does for dependencies.

Quadruple Validation

IANA Registration (Oct 31, 2025) – Official internet media type
Anthropic MCP Registry (Oct 17, 2025) – PR #2759 merged, first persistent project context server
Google Chrome Web Store (September 2025) – Extension approved
13k+ downloads – 6.5k CLI + 6.7k MCP (800+/week sustained)

The Real Journey (30 Years)

1995-2025: Building format expertise – Commodore Amiga’s .iff, Carpet Industry 3D simulations
2025: Started AI development, immediately saw the context problem and lack of a format
August 8, 2025: Format created, first ever .faf
September 1, 2025: Developer tool with .faf engine-Mk1
September 11, 2025: Google approved Chrome Extension
September 16, 2025: MCP server launched (v2.0.0)
September 24, 2025: CLI launched (v2.1.0)
October 17, 2025: Merged into Anthropic MCP Registry (PR #2759)
October 31, 2025: IANA registration

How to Use

Install via npm or Homebrew:

# npm
npm install -g faf-cli

# Homebrew
brew install faf-cli

# Quick start
cd your-project
faf init        # Creates .faf file
faf score       # Check AI-context (0-100%)

For Claude Desktop (MCP), add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "faf": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "claude-faf-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

30-Year Format Expertise

This wasn’t luck – it was three decades of format design experience applied to AI’s context problem. From .iff to Carpet Industry simulations to AI context, every format taught me something. When AI needed a format, I got it right immediately because I’d been preparing for 30 years.

30 years collating. 3 months creating!