---
slug: "xproof-prove-before-after-act-x-4"
source_type: "clawhub"
source_url: "https://clawhub.ai/skills/xproof"
repo: ""
source_file: "description"
---
---
name: xproof
version: 3.3.7
description: "Certify what your agent decided (WHY) before acting, and what it produced (WHAT) after. 4W audit trail on MultiversX, violations layer on Base, trust score."
skill_visibility: public
homepage: https://xproof.app
metadata: {"xproof":{"category":"proof,security,compliance,accountability,prove-before-act","api_base":"https://xproof.app"}}
---

# xProof — Prove Before & After Act

Anchor reasoning (WHY) before execution and actual result (WHAT) after — creating a complete, tamper-proof 4W audit trail on MultiversX (Who via MX-8004, What/When/Why via xProof). Trust score, violations layer, public verification.

## The Core Pattern

```
1. Reason (WHY) → 2. Hash locally → 3. Anchor WHY on-chain → 4. Get proof_id → 5. Execute → 6. Hash result (WHAT) → 7. Anchor WHAT on-chain → 8. Full 4W trail
```

The `proof_id` from step 4 is your immutable pre-execution commitment — if something goes wrong, you have forensic evidence that the reasoning preceded the action.

**4W breakdown — what each letter means and who provides it:**

| | Question | Provided by |
|:--|:--|:--|
| **W**HO | Which agent or actor made this decision? | **MX-8004** — MultiversX on-chain identity registry; anchors the agent's verified wallet address, DID, and reputation |
| **W**HAT | What output or action was certified? | **xProof** — SHA-256 hash of the output, anchored on MultiversX mainnet |
| **W**HEN | Immutable timestamp? | **xProof** — MultiversX block finality (~6 s); not a self-reported clock |
| **W**HY | What reasoning led to the decision? | **xProof** — `action_description`, `risk_level`, and `context` fields from `/api/audit` |

xProof owns WHAT / WHEN / WHY and the causal link that proves reasoning preceded the action. MX-8004 owns WHO. Together they form a forensically complete 4W trail.

> **Agent reference:** [`https://xproof.app/agent-context`](https://xproof.app/agent-context) — 13 Q&A sections written specifically for autonomous agents: production deployment patterns, retry policy, x402 payment walkthrough, 4W audit trail deep-dive, privacy model, fleet monitoring, latency benchmarks, and framework integration examples (LangChain, CrewAI, AutoGen, LlamaIndex, OpenAI Agents SDK, Fetch.ai).

**Why anchor before acting?** An agent that proves its reasoning before executing is fundamentally more trustworthy than one that cannot. It creates an unbreakable causal chain: the intent existed before the action, and the blockchain makes that sequence immutable.

**Why audit?** Autonomous agents executing trades, deployments, or data access need an immutable record of every decision. The Agent Audit Log Standard enforces this: no proof = no execution.

**Why violations?** Trust requires accountability. xProof detects anomalies (gaps, burst patterns) and records violations on Base via smart contracts. Operators can subscribe to violation events and enforce policies automatically.

## Pricing

**Flat rate: $0.01 per proof** -- no tiers, no volume discounts, same price whether you anchor 1 or 100,000 proofs.

| Scale | Cost |
|:---|:---|
| 1 proof | $0.01 |
| 1,000 proofs | $10 |
| 10,000 proofs | $100 |
| 50 agents × 20 actions/day × 30 days | $300/month |

Payment: USDC on Base (x402, no account) or EGLD on MultiversX (ACP/wallet) or prepaid credits.

## Quick Install

The canonical source for all skill files is the **main xProof repository** (`jasonxkensei/xProof`), which is the repository audited by security tools. Install from there directly:

```bash
mkdir -p <SKILL_DIR>/xproof/references

# Core Skill — from the canonical main repository
curl -sL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jasonxkensei/xProof/main/clawhub-publish/xproof/SKILL.md \
  > <SKILL_DIR>/xproof/SKILL.md

# Reference Manuals
for f in certification x402 mcp; do
  curl -sL "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jasonxkensei/xProof/main/clawhub-publish/xproof/references/${f}.md" \
    > "<SKILL_DIR>/xproof/references/${f}.md"
done
```

> **Source verification:** All files above are served from `github.com/jasonxkensei/xProof` — the same repository that contains the server code, contracts, and SDKs. You can audit the full source at that URL before installing.

## Data & Privacy
## Data & Privacy

> **Transparency notice — what leaves your environment when using this skill.**

| Data field | Sent to xproof.app? | Notes |
|:---|:---:|:---|
| File content / raw text | **Never** | Hash locally; only the digest crosses the boundary |
| `file_hash` (SHA-256 hex, 64 chars) | Yes | One-way fingerprint; original content cannot be reconstructed |
| `filename` / `author` | Optional | Metadata you explicitly supply; omit if sensitive |
| `action_description` / `context` | Optional | Only when you call `/api/audit` or `audit_agent_session` |
| USDC payment (x402) | Yes — Base chain | On-chain transaction; amount is your configured ceiling |
| API key (`pm_...`) | Yes — HTTP header | Treat like a password; never log or commit |

**What xproof.app does NOT receive:** raw file contents, prompt text, model weights, environment variables, or any field you do not explicitly pass.

**Data retention:** proof records are permanent and public by default (that is the point — immutable evidence). Before certifying, confirm you want the hash publicly anchored on MultiversX mainnet forever.

**Skill file:** this file (`<SKILL_DIR>/xproof/SKILL.md`) is intentionally public and contains no secrets. It is documentation only — API patterns, pricing, and integration examples. Safe to audit, share, or version-control.

## Security

- **NEVER** commit API keys to a public repository.
- **ALWAYS** add `.env` to your `.gitignore`.
- API keys are prefixed `pm_` -- treat them like passwords.
- x402 mode requires no API key (payment replaces authentication).
- **NEVER send plaintext content to xproof.app** -- always hash locally first (`sha256sum`, `crypto.subtle.digest`, or equivalent). The only field xproof accepts is `file_hash` (64-char SHA-256 hex). No raw text, documents, or binary data should ever leave your environment.
- **x402 is opt-in and autonomous** -- once enabled, your agent can initiate USDC payments on Base without per-transaction confirmation. Configure a spending cap in your agent framework and require human approval above your threshold before enabling x402 in production.
- **`llms.txt` and `llms-full.txt` are static documentation references** -- load them once at install time for API reference, not at runtime on every call. Fetching them dynamically on each invocation creates an unnecessary runtime dependency on xproof.app availability and a potential prompt-injection surface if the file is ever compromised.
- **Guard/enforcement templates are versioned in the repository** -- never fetch agent enforcement code from a runtime URL. Use the pinned versions in `references/` or the SDK packages (`xproof` on PyPI, `@xproof/xproof` on npm).

---

## Configuration

### Option A: API Key Authentication

```bash
# ---- xProof ---------------------------------------------------------------
XPROOF_API_KEY="pm_..."                          # Your API key (from xproof.app)
XPROOF_BASE_URL="https://xproof.app"             # Production endpoint
```

Get an API key at [xproof.app](https://xproof.app) (connect wallet, go to Settings > API Keys).

### Option B: x402 Payment Protocol (No Account Required)

No configuration needed. Pay in USDC on Base (eip155:8453) directly in the HTTP request. The 402 response header tells your agent exactly what to pay. Flat rate: $0.01 per proof.

> **WARNING -- autonomous payments:** x402 is an opt-in mode that enables your agent to initiate on-chain USDC transactions without per-transaction user confirmation. Before enabling x402 in production:
> - Set a **spending cap** in your agent framework (e.g. max $N/day or $N/session).
> - Require **human approval** for any single call that would exceed your risk threshold.
> - Note that `POST /api/batch` supports up to 100 items per call -- at $0.01 each, a batch of 100 costs $1.00.
> - Disable x402 entirely in environments where autonomous spending is not authorised.

---

## 1. Core Skills Catalog

### 1.1 Proof Anchoring (REST API)
[Full Reference](references/certification.md)

| Skill | Endpoint | Description |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `certify_file` | `POST /api/proof` | Anchor a file hash on MultiversX as immutable proof |
| `batch_certify` | `POST /api/batch` | Anchor up to 50 files in one call |
| `audit_agent_session` | `POST /api/audit` | Anchor agent decision on-chain BEFORE executing critical action |
| `verify_proof` | `GET /api/proof/:id` | Verify an existing proof |
| `get_certificate` | `GET /api/certificates/:id.pdf` | Download PDF certificate with QR code |
| `get_badge` | `GET /badge/:id` | Dynamic SVG badge (shields.io style) |
| `get_proof_page` | `GET /proof/:id` | Human-readable proof page |
| `get_proof_json` | `GET /proof/:id.json` | Structured proof document (JSON) |
| `get_audit_page` | `GET /audit/:id` | Human-readable audit log page |

### 1.2 Proof Anchoring (MCP -- JSON-RPC 2.0)
[Full Reference](references/mcp.md)

| Tool | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `certify_file` | Create blockchain proof -- SHA-256 hash, filename, optional author/webhook |
| `verify_proof` | Verify existing proof by UUID |
| `get_proof` | Retrieve proof in JSON or Markdown format |
| `discover_services` | List capabilities, pricing, and usage guidance |
| `audit_agent_session` | Anchor agent decision on-chain BEFORE executing critical action |

### 1.3 Payment (x402)
[Full Reference](references/x402.md)

x402 is not a separate skill -- it is a payment method. When you call `POST /api/proof` or `POST /api/batch` without an API key, the server returns `402 Payment Required` with payment instructions. Your agent pays in USDC on Base and retries with an `X-Payment` header.

---

## 2. Webhooks

Supply an optional `webhook_url` field on `POST /api/proof` or `POST /api/batch` to receive a callback when the proof is confirmed on-chain.

**Scope — the webhook payload contains only:**

| Field | Type | Description |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `proof_id` | string (UUID) | The proof identifier |
| `file_hash` | string | SHA-256 hex of the certified file |
| `filename` | string | Filename submitted with the proof |
| `status` | string | `"confirmed"` |
| `blockchain_tx` | string | MultiversX transaction hash |
| `explorer_url` | string | Link to the transaction on MultiversX Explorer |
| `timestamp` | string | ISO 8601 confirmation time |

No raw file content, no API keys, no account information, and no metadata beyond the above is ever sent to the webhook endpoint.

**Authentication:** Every delivery includes an `X-Webhook-Signature` header containing an HMAC-SHA256 signature computed with a per-relationship secret. Verify this signature before processing the payload. Retry policy: 3 attempts with exponential backoff (1 s, 5 s, 30 s).

**SSRF protection:** xproof.app validates `webhook_url` before delivery. Private IP ranges (RFC 1918), loopback (`127.x`, `::1`), link-local, and non-HTTPS destinations are blocked. DNS rebinding is mitigated by pinning the resolved socket address to the pre-validated IP at connection time.

```bash
# Example proof request with webhook
curl -X POST ${XPROOF_BASE_URL}/api/proof \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "file_hash": "a1b2c3...",
    "filename": "output.json",
    "webhook_url": "https://your-agent.example.com/hooks/xproof"
  }'
```

---

## 9. Violations Layer (Base)

xProof monitors agent behavior and detects anomalies. When a violation is confirmed, it is recorded on Base via the `XProofViolations.sol` smart contract, impacting the agent's trust score.

### Violation Types

| Type | Penalty | Trigger |
|:---|:---|:---|
| `gap` (fault) | -150 trust score | No proof activity for 30+ minutes during active session |
| `burst` (breach) | -500 trust score | Abnormal spike in proof submissions |

Smart contracts: [XProofViolations.sol](https://github.com/jasonxkensei/xProof/blob/main/contracts/XProofViolations.sol) | [ViolationWatcher.sol](https://github.com/jasonxkensei/xProof/blob/main/contracts/ViolationWatcher.sol)

Docs: [https://xproof.app/docs/base-violations](https://xproof.app/docs/base-violations)

---

## 10. Agent Proof Standard

xProof implements the open Agent Proof Standard -- a composable, chain-agnostic format for agent accountability.

Full specification: [AGENT_PROOF_STANDARD.md](https://github.com/jasonxkensei/xProof/blob/main/AGENT_PROOF_STANDARD.md)

Standard API: `GET /api/standard` | `GET /api/standard/validate` (POST)

---

## 11. Discovery Endpoints

| Endpoint | Description |
|:---|:---|
| `GET /.well-known/agent.json` | Agent Protocol manifest |
| `GET /.well-known/mcp.json` | MCP server manifest |
| `GET /.well-known/agent-audit-schema.json` | Agent Audit Log canonical schema |
| `GET /ai-plugin.json` | OpenAI ChatGPT plugin manifest |
| `GET /llms.txt` | LLM-friendly summary |
| `GET /llms-full.txt` | Complete LLM reference |
| `POST /mcp` | MCP JSON-RPC 2.0 endpoint |
| `GET /mcp` | MCP capability discovery |
| `GET /api/standard` | Agent Proof Standard specification |
| `GET /agent-context` | Agent-first deep-dive: production patterns, retry policy, 4W walkthrough, x402, cost, MCP examples, framework integrations |

---

## 12. Command Cheatsheet

```bash
# Hash locally first -- the original content must never leave your environment.
# xproof only receives the SHA-256 hex hash, filename, and metadata you choose to share.
sha256sum myfile.pdf | awk '{print $1}'
# Then POST the hash to /api/proof

# Anchor via MCP
curl -X POST ${XPROOF_BASE_URL}/mcp \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_..." \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"certify_file","arguments":{"file_hash":"...","filename":"myfile.pdf"}}}'

# Verify a proof
curl ${XPROOF_BASE_URL}/api/proof/<proof_id>

# Get badge (embed in README)
![xProof](https://xproof.app/badge/<proof_id>)

# Batch anchor
curl -X POST ${XPROOF_BASE_URL}/api/batch \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pm_..." \
  -d '{"files":[{"file_hash":"...","filename":"a.txt"},{"file_hash":"...","filename":"b.txt"}]}'

# Health check
curl ${XPROOF_BASE_URL}/api/acp/health
```