How to Write an RFC

RFCs all begin as Internet-Drafts (I-Ds) that have been adopted by an IETF working group or by one of the other streams for document publication.

Each publication stream has its own processes for authoring and approving I-Ds. Refer to the IETF, IRTF, IAB, Independent or Editorial Streams for more information on how to start.

Internet-Draft authors can find current authoring guidelines on the Internet-Draft Author Resources page.

When an I-D is approved for publication, it is sent to the RFC Production Center (RPC) for professional editing. The editorial process includes accuracy checks and editing for grammar, consistency, and continuity. All changes are approved by the authors before the editorial process concludes.

The official RFC is then published on rfc-editor.org. Once published, the content of an RFC does not change. However, an RFC may be obsoleted or updated (check the metadata), and errata may be filed against them.

You can learn more about the conventions used in RFCs on the "Tips for Reading RFCs" page.