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Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/XxYouDeaDPunKxX/A.D.A.M.-Adaptive-Depth-and-Mode/llms.txt

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The entire A.D.A.M. protocol is a single portable text file. There is nothing to install and no account to create. You copy the file, paste it into your host’s instruction field, and send one command. From that point forward, every response is depth-labeled and governed by the protocol contract.
If the host cannot satisfy the protocol’s strict output invariants — for example, because it truncates the instruction field, rewrites assistant output, or cannot run the required bootstrap checks — A.D.A.M. will output only ADAM_UNSUPPORTED. This is intentional fail-closed behavior, not a bug. A.D.A.M. will not pretend to be active when the output contract cannot be met.

Activate A.D.A.M.

1

Get A.D.A.M.v5.txt

Open A.D.A.M.v5.txt from the repository and copy its entire contents. The protocol is a single, self-contained text file — everything A.D.A.M. needs to govern session behavior is inside it.
2

Load it into your host's instruction field

Paste the full file text into your chat host’s persistent instruction field — this is the system prompt, custom instructions, or equivalent surface depending on your host. The complete file must be visible in context. Truncation causes fail-closed behavior, because the protocol checks for specific required literals before activating.
3

Send the activation ping

In your first message, send exactly:
ADAM PING
This is the canonical bootstrap trigger. Uploading the file alone does not activate the protocol — the exact ADAM PING command is required. The host will reply with exactly 4 lines:
MODE: MID
ADAM_PING_OK
CONTROL: first word LOW | MID | DEEP sets mode.
BOOTSTRAP_CLASS: TEXT_ONLY | BOUND_RO | BOUND_RW | GHOST
The BOOTSTRAP_CLASS line reports the source-side bootstrap state the protocol established during activation. See What BOOTSTRAP_CLASS means below.
4

Send a second ADAM PING (liveness check)

Send ADAM PING a second time:
ADAM PING
The first ping ran the full bootstrap sequence. The second is a liveness check — it confirms A.D.A.M. is still active on the next turn without rerunning the bootstrap. You should see exactly 2 lines:
MODE: MID
ADAM_PING_OK
If you see the full 4-line response again instead of 2 lines, the host may have lost context between turns. Check that the instruction field is persistent across messages.
5

Ask a normal question

Send any simple question, for example:
capital of germany
A.D.A.M. will route this automatically to LOW — a fast, minimal reply — because the input has no structural complexity. You should see:
MODE: LOW
Berlin.
Every normal reply while A.D.A.M. is active begins with a MODE tag. That tag is the visible depth contract on every response.

Manual depth override

You can force any depth mode by starting your message with LOW, MID, or DEEP followed by a space, then your content. The first word is interpreted as the mode token and the rest is your request.
DEEP explain the tradeoffs between SQL and NoSQL for a 10M-row dataset
LOW what is a foreign key
MID compare indexing strategies for a high-read workload
Manual override takes priority over automatic structural routing. Use DEEP as the first word when you want full decision support without waiting for the protocol to detect a candidate and ask for consent. Note that the boundary check is strict: DEEP, (with a comma) or DEEP: are not valid override tokens. The first word must be exactly LOW, MID, or DEEP followed by a space or end of message.

What BOOTSTRAP_CLASS means

The BOOTSTRAP_CLASS line in the first ADAM PING response reports what the protocol was able to verify about its own source context during activation. It describes the source-side state at bootstrap time — it does not describe host reliability across all future turns.
ClassMeaning
TEXT_ONLYProtocol operability passed, but execution was not tentable or no stable physical bind to the source file was established. The protocol is active and functional; recovery via ADAM REMOUNT is available.
BOUND_ROA physical source file was found and bound by content identity. The source is readable but source-side write/readback was not verified.
BOUND_RWA physical source file was found, bound, and source-side write/readback was verified. The strongest source-side class.
GHOSTThe bootstrap ran but no sufficient classification basis remained. No stable physical bind was established.
TEXT_ONLY is a normal, valid operating condition — not a failure. Most hosted chat environments will report TEXT_ONLY because they do not expose a writable local file system to the model. The protocol governs responses correctly in all four classes.

Lifecycle commands

After activation you can control the protocol session with the following core commands. All commands are case-sensitive and must occupy the entire message (exact full-message match after trimming).
CommandWhat it does
ADAM PINGConfirm liveness while already active. Returns the 2-line response.
ADAM OFFSuspend the protocol. Replies become plain chat with no MODE tags.
ADAM ONResume the protocol after ADAM OFF.
ADAM REMOUNTEmit a recovery capsule. If session context is lost, paste the capsule back exactly to re-enter ACTIVE.
ADAM PERSISTDeploy and verify a physical copy of the protocol source to the best available local destination (requires BOUND_RO or BOUND_RW bootstrap class).

Diagnostic commands

Operator commands are available while the protocol is ACTIVE. They do not change protocol state.
CommandWhat it does
ADAM SELF TESTRun the external self-test probe (ADAM_SELF_TEST.md). Returns SOURCE_FILE_UNAVAILABLE ADAM_SELF_TEST.md if the file is not in context.
SYS STATUSRun the external system status probe (SYS_STATUS.md). Returns SOURCE_FILE_UNAVAILABLE SYS_STATUS.md if the file is not in context.
TRACE INPUTEmit a strict forensic trace of the last visible user input: character count, head, tail, and structural classification.
UNSUPPORTED WHYAfter receiving ADAM_UNSUPPORTED, send this command to receive a single-line CAUSE <CLASS> diagnostic.

How It Works

Understand the priority ladder, structural kernel, and output contract that govern every reply.

Modes

Deep-dive into LOW, MID, DEEP, and the POSSIBLE DEEP gating flow.

Core Commands

Full reference for ADAM PING, ADAM OFF, ADAM ON, ADAM REMOUNT, and ADAM PERSIST.

Recovery and Remount

How to use ADAM REMOUNT to recover a lost session context.

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