What Is an Agent Directory?
An agent directory is a public index where humans and AI agents can inspect an agent profile, owner, purpose, capabilities, endpoints, identity records, proof links, and contact paths before trusting or calling that agent. A directory is not only a list of agents; a strong directory helps readers verify who operates an agent and how the agent can be checked.
For HeadlessDomains.com, an agent directory connects public .agent names, DNS TXT records, machine-readable manifests, SKILL.md files, endpoint metadata, and profile pages. List your .agent in the Headless Profile Directory so agents, buyers, partners, and security teams can inspect one public profile before delegating work, connecting a tool, or approving commerce flows.
Agent Directory at a Glance
| Surface | Primary job | Best use | Trust signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent directory | Index public agent profiles for discovery and inspection | Find agents, compare records, inspect owner and endpoints | Profile plus identity record and proof links |
| Agent marketplace | Distribute agents, apps, services, or paid placements | Buy, install, rate, or transact through a platform | Platform review, commerce history, and listing rules |
| Public agent profile | Show one agent's operator, capabilities, links, and records | Inspect one named agent before a call or partnership | Consistent owner, manifest, and verification links |
| Internal registry | Track company-owned agents, scopes, owners, and lifecycle status | Govern agents inside a security or platform team | IAM, audit logs, review cadence, and offboarding state |
What an Agent Directory Should Expose
A useful agent directory should make the public identity path easy to inspect. The profile should name the agent, show the operator, explain the purpose, link to machine-readable records, identify trusted endpoints, show contact or support routes, and point to policies that govern use.
| Directory field | Why the field counts | Where to publish |
|---|---|---|
| Canonical name | Separates the agent from marketplace titles, aliases, and lookalike names. | .agent identity record and directory profile |
| Operator | Shows who controls the agent and who can answer for changes. | agent.json, profile page, proof links |
| Capabilities | Explains what the agent claims to do before another system delegates work. | agent.json, SKILL.md, Agent Card |
| Endpoints | Shows where agents, tools, or APIs can connect. | agent.json, OpenAPI, MCP metadata, A2A card |
| Proof links | Lets readers compare DNS records, profile links, and manifest data. | DNS TXT records, profile page, source docs |
| Review status | Signals whether the profile is active, stale, retired, or under review. | Directory profile and internal registry |
Directory Versus Discovery List
A discovery list only helps someone find a name. An agent directory should help someone inspect a name. That difference becomes important when one agent is about to call another, connect an MCP endpoint, accept an Agent Card, route a checkout, or send a user to a tool surface.
The best directory pages support both audiences. Humans should be able to scan the profile quickly. Agents should be able to follow machine-readable URLs, parse records, and compare the profile against linked manifests before acting.
Example Directory Record
{"name":"atlas.agent","operator":"Atlas Support Team","status":"active","profile_url":"https://agents.headlessdomains.com/atlas.agent","identity_record":"hns_txt:atlas.agent","manifest":"https://atlas.agent/.well-known/agent.json","skill":"https://atlas.agent/SKILL.md","mcp":"https://api.atlas.agent/mcp","support":"https://atlas.agent/contact","reviewed":"2026-05-20"}Implementation Checklist
- Claim a canonical .agent identity for the agent, product, or merchant surface.
- Publish DNS TXT records that point to the current manifest, profile, and verification sources.
- Publish agent.json with operator, purpose, capabilities, endpoints, auth model, and proof links.
- Add SKILL.md when agents should follow a repeatable workflow.
- List the .agent identity in the Headless Profile Directory with profile copy that matches the manifest.
- Link to policy pages, support pages, terms, and endpoint documentation.
- Mark inactive, renamed, acquired, compromised, or retired agents clearly.
- Recheck the profile after endpoint, owner, payment, or permission changes.
Where HeadlessDomains.com Fits
HeadlessDomains.com gives the directory profile a persistent identity anchor. A Headless Domains record can connect the public profile, DNS TXT metadata, agent.json, SKILL.md, OpenAPI, MCP, A2A, payment metadata, and product pages into one inspection path.
Start by registering a .agent identity, then list the profile in the Headless Profile Directory. The profile becomes the reader-facing page, while the linked records give agents a machine-readable path to verify the same surface.
Internal Reading Path
- The Agent Identity Stack
- Agent Directory vs Agent Marketplace
- How to Read an Agent Identity Record
- The Public Inspection Layer for AI Agents
- Agent Trust Score
- What Is Agent Discovery?
- What Is a Public Agent Profile?
Sources
- HeadlessDomains.com
- Headless Profile Directory
- Headless Domains WHOIS lookup
- A2A Protocol specification
- Model Context Protocol specification
FAQ
Is an agent directory the same as an agent marketplace?
No. A marketplace focuses on distribution, installs, purchase flows, ratings, and platform placement. An agent directory focuses on discovery and public inspection: who operates the agent, what records exist, which endpoints are claimed, and which proof links support the profile.
What belongs in an agent directory profile?
A profile should include canonical name, operator, purpose, status, capabilities, endpoint links, manifest URLs, SKILL.md, proof links, contact paths, policy links, and review state. The profile should avoid private tokens, secret keys, customer data, and internal hostnames.
Why use a .agent identity with a directory?
A .agent identity gives the profile a portable public anchor. Marketplace names and profile handles can vary across platforms, while a .agent record can point to the current profile, manifest, proof links, and agent-readable files.
Do Headless Domains require browser-native DNS resolution?
No. The names are headless and do not require a browser to resolve or use. Agents can work with Headless Domains through command-line and API workflows maintained by Headless Domains and SkyInclude.
How often should a directory profile be reviewed?
Review the profile after any owner, endpoint, capability, policy, payment, or retirement change. For production agents that touch tools, customer data, partner systems, or commerce flows, monthly review is a practical baseline.
How does Headless Profile Directory help?
Headless Profile Directory gives a .agent identity a public profile page that humans can scan and agents can use as a starting point. The profile can link to records, manifests, social proof, endpoint metadata, and related pages so inspection starts from one place.