What it is
PortableAI is an open standard for a small, human-readable Markdown document — a profile — that captures the durable context you want AI systems to know about you. Stable preferences, projects, goals, working style, areas of expertise, and the constraints that shape how you want to be helped.
You keep the file. You choose which AI reads it. Any AI that can read Markdown can read a PortableAI profile.
Why it exists
Every AI asks you to start over. Preferences you told one assistant last week are invisible to the next one. Long-lived context has to be re-explained on every new tool, every new session, every new provider. That's the problem PortableAI is designed to solve.
What's in a profile
A profile is a single Markdown file with a small YAML front-matter header (identity, version, last-updated) followed by well-known sections you can add or remove:
- Profile — who you are and the durable context you want AI to know
- Preferences — stable preferences that should shape AI assistance
- Projects, Interests, Knowledge & Expertise
- Decision Style, Communication Style
- AI Guidance — how you want AI to respond to you
The full list of well-known sections is maintained in the Well-Known Section Registry.
Profile types & example profiles
PortableAI supports more than one kind of profile. Each profile type has its own well-known sections, a blank template you can load in the editor to start from, and at least one complete example you can read to see what a finished profile looks like.
- Persona — your durable, cross-session context (preferences, working style, goals, expertise). Example: persona-jordan-rivera.md.
- Software Project — durable knowledge about a software project (architecture, stack, conventions, key decisions) so any AI can pick up the work. Example: software-project-tidesynth.md.
Browse all worked examples in examples/profiles/, and the starter templates in website/templates/. In the editor, use Load a template and pick the profile type you want.
How the reference editor works
The editor at PortableAI.org is a reference implementation. It runs entirely in your browser, opens and edits your profile, and lets you download the result. That's it.
Privacy — the Non-Storage Principle
PortableAI does not store your profile. The reference editor keeps a working draft in your browser's local storage so you don't lose work between sessions, and clears it when you clear the draft. Nothing is sent to any server operated by PortableAI. No accounts. No sync. No telemetry beyond what static hosting inherently sees (an IP address for the page request).
This is not a policy choice we could reverse — it's built into the standard. The full Non-Storage Principle is documented in ADR-0005.
How you use it
- Draft a profile — either paste one in, load a template for the profile type you want, or ask an AI you already use to draft one for you.
- Edit it here in the reference editor, or in any Markdown editor you already like.
- Download the profile document. Keep it wherever you keep your important files.
- When you talk to an AI, paste or attach the profile so it starts with your context.
Open source and open standard
The specification, the reference editor, and this site are all open source under the MIT license. Issues, discussions, and contributions live on GitHub.