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Agent Client Protocol

Agent Client Protocol — Technology. definition: Open protocol connecting a client (editor) to a coding agent; JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio, Apache-2.0, introduced by Zed in August 2025 — the "LSP of agents". Alias "ACP" (homonym, never use alone) · governance: Site linking Zed Industries and JetBrains at the same level, with ACP Registry, RFDs, Community, Publications, Updates and Brand; libraries for Kotlin, Java, Python, Rust, TypeScript · specification: Two transport modes: local agents in JSON-RPC over stdio, remote agents over HTTP or WebSocket (support in progress); reuses MCP's JSON representations; Markdown by default; v1 (Latest) and v2 (Draft) versions

Type
Technology
definition
Open protocol connecting a client (editor) to a coding agent; JSON-RPC 2.0 over stdio, Apache-2.0, introduced by Zed in August 2025 — the "LSP of agents". Alias "ACP" (homonym, never use alone)
governance
Site linking Zed Industries and JetBrains at the same level, with ACP Registry, RFDs, Community, Publications, Updates and Brand; libraries for Kotlin, Java, Python, Rust, TypeScript
specification
Two transport modes: local agents in JSON-RPC over stdio, remote agents over HTTP or WebSocket (support in progress); reuses MCP's JSON representations; Markdown by default; v1 (Latest) and v2 (Draft) versions
relations
23
Cited in
2 fiches

Neighborhood

Language Server Prot… Zed JSON-RPC sur stdio Buzz JSON-RPC 2.0 sur stdio Markdown JetBrains Model Context Protocol HTTP ou WebSocket po… Zed Industries ACP Registry Nous Research

→ draws on

Language Server Protocol TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗

← uses

Zed ORGANISATION high confidence evolving Source ↗
Buzz TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗
JetBrains ORGANISATION high confidence evolving Source ↗
Nous Research ORGANISATION high confidence evolving Source ↗

→ uses

JSON-RPC sur stdio TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗
JSON-RPC 2.0 sur stdio TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗
Markdown TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗
HTTP ou WebSocket pour les agents distants TECHNOLOGIE high confidence evolving Source ↗

← created

Zed ORGANISATION high confidence stable Source ↗
Zed Industries ORGANISATION high confidence stable

→ converges with

Model Context Protocol TECHNOLOGIE high confidence timeless Source ↗

← is part of

ACP Registry TECHNOLOGIE high confidence evolving Source ↗

Cited in (2)