OpenVerb Framework
A capability-driven application framework for building AI-native apps
Build your application as capabilities (verbs), not pages or routes. Everything else—UI, AI, paywalls, analytics—attaches automatically.
The Problem
Modern apps are built in silos:
❌ Traditional Architecture: ├── UI (React components) ├── API (REST/GraphQL endpoints) ├── AI (separate tool implementations) ├── Paywalls (middleware + custom logic) └── Analytics (manual tracking) Each layer duplicates logic and stays disconnected.
The OpenVerb Solution
✅ OpenVerb Architecture: ├── Verb Library (single source of truth) │ ↓ ├── Execution Runtime (one pipeline) │ ↓ └── Controllers (UI | AI | API | PaywallOS) Define capabilities once. Everything else just works.
Quick Start
Installation
npm install @openverb/runtime @openverb/policy @openverb/sdk
Define a Verb
{
"id": "todo.create",
"version": "1.0.0",
"summary": "Create a todo item",
"inputSchema": {
"type": "object",
"required": ["title"],
"properties": {
"title": { "type": "string" }
}
},
"effects": ["db.write"],
"handler": "handlers/todo/create"
}Execute from Anywhere
// UI, AI, API - all use the same execution path
const result = await execute({
verbId: "todo.create",
args: { title: "Build amazing apps" },
actor: currentUser,
context: { tenantId, planId }
})Features
🎯 Verb-Driven
Define capabilities once as JSON, execute from anywhere
🔐 Policy Engine
Built-in tier-based authorization and quotas
📊 Observability
Automatic events, receipts, and audit trails
⚡ Type-Safe
Full TypeScript support with strict schemas
🎨 React Ready
Hooks for easy frontend integration
🤖 AI Native
AI controllers use same verbs as UI
Packages
The OpenVerb Framework is published as 4 npm packages:
@openverb/runtime
Core execution engine with validation, policy enforcement, and event emission.
npm install @openverb/runtime
@openverb/policy
Policy engine for tier-based authorization, quotas, and access control.
npm install @openverb/policy
@openverb/cli
Developer tools for generating, validating, and managing verbs.
npm install -g @openverb/cli
Why OpenVerb?
For AI-Native Apps
- ✅ AI gets verb library introspection automatically
- ✅ No "tool definition" duplication
- ✅ AI calls gated by same policy as UI
- ✅ One source of truth for capabilities
For SaaS Builders
- ✅ Paywalls enforce at capability level
- ✅ Tier changes apply instantly
- ✅ Usage metering built-in
- ✅ Audit logs for compliance
For Development Teams
- ✅ Backend changes don't break UI or AI
- ✅ Capabilities are self-documenting
- ✅ One execution path to test
- ✅ Semantic observability
Architecture
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Verb Library (JSON) │
│ - Schemas │
│ - Effects │
│ - Metadata │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Execution Runtime │
│ validate → authorize → execute → emit │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
┌────────┼────────┐
▼ ▼ ▼
┌────┐ ┌────┐ ┌────┐
│ UI │ │ AI │ │API │
└────┘ └────┘ └────┘Documentation
Community
- GitHub: sgthancel/openverb-framework
- Issues: Report bugs or request features
- Discussions: Community discussions
- npm: @openverb
Relationship to OpenVerb Protocol
The OpenVerb Framework builds on the OpenVerb Protocol:
- Protocol (openverb): Defines verb schema format
- Framework (@openverb/*): Full-featured runtime, policy, SDK, and tools
Use the protocol for lightweight implementations, or the framework for production applications.
Status
- Version: 2.0.0-alpha.6
- Status: Alpha (APIs may change)
- License: MIT
- Published: December 2024
Get Started
# Install the framework npm install @openverb/runtime @openverb/policy @openverb/sdk # Initialize in your project npx @openverb/cli init --typescript # Generate your first verb npx @openverb/cli generate verb todo.create # Start building!
Ready to build verb-driven apps?
"Build your app as capabilities. Everything else attaches automatically."