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ecs-rfc-guide

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Guides contributors through the Elastic Common Schema (ECS) RFC (Proposal) process: template sections, target maturity (alpha/beta), rfcs/text artifacts, and optional OTel mapping. Use when a change needs an RFC, when drafting or reviewing RFC PRs, or when the user asks how to propose new ECS field sets or substantial schema changes.

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  3. Review the proposed files and risks before you approve installation.
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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/elastic/ecs/blob/HEAD/.agents/skills/ecs-rfc-guide/SKILL.md

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ECS RFC (Proposal) guide

When this applies

Use after ecs-pr-triage (or equivalent judgment) says Needs RFC, or when the user is starting a new field set, breaking change, novel use case, or ECS-wide design.

Authoritative process: rfcs/PROCESS.md. Template: rfcs/0000-rfc-template.md. High-level triggers: rfcs/README.md.

Current process (short)

  1. Single Proposal stage — template must keep Stage: **Proposal**.
  2. Contributor opens a PR that adds the RFC markdown under rfcs/ (name like 0000-<dash-separated-name>.md until numbered).
  3. Specify Target maturity: alpha, beta, or mixture (see Field stability).
  4. The PR author assigns the next available RFC number (scan rfcs/text/ for the highest existing number). ECS team reviews holistically and merges on approval.
  5. If applicable, the RFC PR should include the schema changes (schemas/*.yml, generated artifacts, docs) at the agreed maturity level — proposal and implementation land together in a single PR.

Template walkthrough

Copy rfcs/0000-rfc-template.md. Remove HTML comments as sections are filled.

SectionWhat “good” looks like
Summary2–5 sentences: what, why, impact.
UsageEnd-to-end: producer → storage → queries/dashboards/detections.
FieldsEvery proposed field: name, type, description, level/maturity, example. Prefer YAML blocks. If object/flattened without children, justify shape and conflict avoidance (see schemas/README.md).
Source data≥2 real examples (JSON/logs); link or place large payloads under rfcs/text/<n>/.
Scope of impactIngestion (Beats/Agents), Kibana/apps, ECS repo (docs/tooling).
ConcernsRisks + resolved mitigations; OTel overlap; naming; adoption.
PeopleAuthor, SMEs, reviewers.
ReferencesPrior art, semconv links, related issues/PRs.

rfcs/text/<number>/ folder

When the RFC adds or changes fields:

  • Create rfcs/text/<number>/ with standalone YAML snippets, large JSON examples, or mappings — especially when the markdown would be huge.
  • Use the next free folder number (scan rfcs/text/; duplicates get fixed at merge per template notes).
  • Align filenames with affected field sets (e.g. faas.yml, gen_ai.yaml) for reviewer navigation.

OTel alignment (optional)

ECS tracks relationships between its fields and OTel semconv via otel: metadata tags in schemas/*.yml.

  • When a new or changed field has a clear OTel semconv counterpart, adding an otel: block (with relation: match | equivalent | related | conflict | na) is encouraged but not required.
  • The otel: metadata is used to generate alignment documentation — it is not a gate for merging.
  • If unsure whether an OTel mapping applies, omit it; it can be added later.

Maturity choice (alpha vs beta)

  • Alpha — earlier, may change more; good for exploratory or fast-moving domains.
  • Beta — clearer adoption path; still subject to change before GA.
  • Mixture — some fields alpha, some beta; explain per field or group.

Promotion after merge is out of band from the RFC (team process per PROCESS.md).

PR hygiene

  • Link the Proposal PR at the bottom of the RFC (### RFC Pull Requests).
  • Do not replace process with old multi-stage labels found in historical RFCs under rfcs/text/*.md; those are legacy examples only.

Example RFCs (depth reference)

Implementation in the RFC PR

The RFC PR itself should include the schema implementation: schemas/*.yml changes, make-generated artifacts, and a CHANGELOG.next.md entry. There is no separate "handoff" — proposal and schema land together.

Related