Credential Manifest

In the W3C Verifiable Credentials data model, a Credential Manifest is a formal specification that acts as a request for issuance. It is published by an issuer to communicate the exact inputs—such as specific claims, proofs, or other credentials—that a holder must provide to receive a new credential. This creates a clear, standardized contract between the two parties, enabling automated and interoperable credential issuance workflows. The manifest itself is a JSON document structured according to the Decentralized Identity Foundation (DIF) specification, ensuring it can be processed by compliant wallets and agents.

The core components of a manifest include the issuer descriptor, the output_descriptors which detail the credential to be issued, and the presentation_definition which specifies the required proofs. The presentation_definition is a critical element, as it can mandate that the holder submit existing Verifiable Credentials, specific claims, or even a Verifiable Presentation containing bundled proofs. This allows for complex, conditional issuance logic, such as requiring proof of a university degree before issuing a professional license credential. The manifest effectively decouples the issuance process from any specific user interface.

Credential Manifests are foundational to user-centric identity systems. They empower holders by giving them transparent insight into what is required before they disclose any personal data. In practice, a digital wallet application fetches the issuer's manifest, parses the requirements, and helps the user gather and format the necessary proofs from their existing credential storage. This mechanism is essential for scalable trust frameworks and is often paired with a Credential Fulfillment message, which is the holder's structured response containing the requested proofs, completing the issuance protocol.

A Credential Manifest is a standardized data structure, often defined using the W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model and related specifications, that an issuer publishes to communicate the requirements a subject must fulfill to be issued a particular credential. It specifies the input descriptors—the types of verifiable data or proofs a holder must present—and the format of the output descriptor, which describes the credential to be issued. This creates a clear, auditable, and automated contract between the issuer and the potential holder, streamlining the application and issuance process in decentralized identity ecosystems.

The core components of a manifest include the issuer metadata, a unique id, and the output_descriptors array detailing the credentials on offer. Crucially, it contains presentation_definition objects, which specify the exact Verifiable Presentations a holder must submit. These definitions can require specific credential types (e.g., a government ID), certain claims within those credentials (e.g., age > 21), or even proofs of cryptographic control. By defining these rules upfront, the manifest enables wallets and agents to automatically determine if a user possesses the necessary credentials before initiating an issuance flow.

In practice, a user's digital wallet discovers a Credential Manifest from an issuer (e.g., a university offering a diploma credential). The wallet parses the presentation_definition and checks the user's credential wallet for matching Verifiable Credentials. If the user has the required proofs, the wallet can automatically construct and submit a compliant Verifiable Presentation. Upon verification, the issuer's system then generates and signs the new credential described in the output_descriptor, delivering it back to the user's wallet. This entire interaction is often facilitated by protocols like OpenID for Verifiable Credential Issuance (OIDC4VCI).

The power of the Credential Manifest lies in its interoperability and automation. It decouples the issuance logic from the application UI, allowing any compliant wallet to interact with any compliant issuer. This is foundational for scalable SSI (Self-Sovereign Identity) systems, enabling use cases like automated KYC checks, credential re-issuance, and portable educational records. It works in tandem with a Credential Offer, which is a specific invitation containing a manifest ID, and a Credential Response, which is the final, signed credential issued to the holder.

A Credential Manifest is a JSON-based data structure that specifies what a user must submit to receive a particular Verifiable Credential (VC). It acts as a formal request for issuance, detailing the required Input Descriptors (the specific claims or proofs a holder must provide), the supported credential formats (e.g., JSON-LD, JWT), and the issuance service endpoint. This allows credential issuers to publish their requirements in a standardized, interoperable way that wallets and other agents can automatically process, streamlining the application and issuance workflow.

The core components of a manifest include the presentation_definition, which outlines the required proofs using the Presentation Exchange (DIF PE) specification, and the output_descriptors, which describe the structure and contents of the credentials to be issued. This enables selective disclosure, where a holder can satisfy the issuer's requirements by presenting a subset of credentials they already possess, without revealing unnecessary personal data. The manifest essentially decouples the request for proof from the issuance of a new credential, creating a more modular and privacy-preserving system.

In practice, a Credential Manifest is crucial for implementing scalable Decentralized Identity (DID) ecosystems. For example, a university's issuance service could publish a manifest for a diploma credential, specifying that applicants must present a government-issued ID and proof of degree completion. A student's digital wallet reads this manifest, gathers the required proofs from their existing credentials, and submits them to the issuer's endpoint. Upon verification, the issuer returns the signed diploma VC. This standard, alongside the Credential Manifest, forms the backbone of interoperable trust frameworks.