RDLLM GitHub Start Here
RDLLM is an open-source source-attribution and creator-royalty layer for AI answers. It helps an AI product show which sources support an answer, how much each visible source contributed to the output, whether the answer is safe to display as grounded, and whether value should be paid to creators or held in escrow.
Use this page when you are new to the repository and want the shortest working path from clone to a verified source footer.
If You Only Do One Thing
python -m pip install .
rdllm-first-run
Expected first line:
rdllm_first_run status: passed
For a slower copy/paste walkthrough, use First 5 Minutes.
Choose Your Explanation Depth
Start with the public explainer if you want RDLLM in four layers: ELI5, Simple, Non-Technical, and Technical. It is available in 15 languages.
Use the project attribution map if you want to audit what RDLLM was built from: papers, standards, source code, runtime examples, schemas, proof artifacts, and verification commands.
Use the white paper if you want the full state-of-the-art concept paper: attribution problem, current research evidence, runtime architecture, allocation mechanism, threat model, and public-readiness requirements.
Who This Is For
- AI app builders adding source footers to chat, search, RAG, agent, or creative tools.
- Model providers and API platforms that need a provider-neutral attribution receipt.
- Creator platforms, marketplaces, and publishers that need source usage, payout, or escrow evidence.
- Beginners and vibe coders who want copyable commands before reading the full mechanism spec.
Start In 3 Commands
python -m pip install .
rdllm-first-run
rdllm-operator-doctor
Then try the live CLI example or bootstrap an operator directory:
PYTHONPATH=src python3 -m rdllm.cli answer "How should AI prove attribution?"
rdllm-operator-bootstrap --output-dir .rdllm/operator --operator-template company --operator-name "Local RDLLM" --security-contact security@example.com --include-sample-corpus --include-reference-artifacts
The answer prints inline source labels such as [S1], visible source rows, and
Claim Evidence rows with support scores, evidence span hashes, source
disagreement status, and payout allocation.
Live Use Cases
- Runtime use cases show 15 copyable commands plus live screenshots for first run, CLI source footers, service verification, provider smoke, package smoke, and public release gates.
- API client examples show standard-library implementations in JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Java, and C#.
- Adopter quickstart shows the rootless production path for individuals, companies, institutions, governments, and public-sector operators.
- Service API documents
/readyz,/v1/attribute,/v1/provider/attribute, metrics, audit logs, and display verification.
Multilingual Quickstarts
These concise quickstarts cover 15 public documentation entry points for the repository. The first set follows 2026 total-speaker rankings; the expanded set adds widely used developer and regional languages.
- English
- Simplified Chinese
- Hindi
- Spanish
- Arabic
- French
- Bengali
- Portuguese
- Indonesian
- Urdu
- Russian
- German
- Japanese
- Korean
- Vietnamese
Each language also has a matching explainer: English, Simplified Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, and Arabic, French, Bengali, Portuguese, Indonesian, Urdu, Russian, German, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese.
Implementation Languages
The API examples prioritize common implementation languages for AI products: JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Java, and C#. Stack Overflow's 2025 Developer Survey reports JavaScript, Python, TypeScript, Java, and C# among the most-used general-purpose programming languages for professional developers after removing markup-only, query-only, and shell-only entries from the broader programming/scripting/markup table.
What The User Sees
A grounded answer is not just a paragraph with a citation. The display surface includes:
- source labels in the answer, such as
[S1]; - source rows with title, creator, URI, support, text match, payout, and content hash prefix;
- Claim Evidence rows with claim hash, support score, evidence span, warrant status, source-disagreement status, and visible evidence preview;
- verifier handles and hashes that survive copy/export.
Short runtime excerpt:
Claim Evidence
[C1] S1; claim_hash=399e7ff82b80; support=0.900; span=399e7ff82b80; chars=0-64. disagreement=passed; agreements=S1; conflicts=none; disagreement_profile=rdllm-visible-source-disagreement/v1. Evidence: Every royalty bearing AI answer should have a provenance record.
What The Verifier Proves
The verifier checks that:
source_grounding_acceptanceis passed before production display;- the answer text is bound to the source footer;
- source rows match event source references;
- every supported claim has a matching Claim Evidence row;
- citation-shaped answer markers resolve to verified footer rows;
- answer links resolve to verified source URIs;
- source usage metrics are visible and use the declared metric profile;
- model-reliance claims are limited to observable support/allocation data unless provider telemetry is separately verified;
- visible source disagreement fails production display through
claim_source_disagreement_status.
SEO And GEO Notes
For search engines, this repository keeps the first page crawlable and
descriptive: direct headings, local links, a static docs/index.html, release
metadata, license files, and copyable commands. For generative engines, the docs
use citation-friendly source rows, short summaries, and explicit field
definitions so answer systems can quote the project accurately instead of
guessing from code names.
The GEO-specific rule for this project is the same as the product rule: do not optimize for being cited by overstating what RDLLM proves. The public docs say RDLLM reports observable source support and settlement allocation; hidden model-internal reliance is claimed only when provider telemetry is separately verified.
Primary references:
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025: https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2025/technology
- Google Search Central SEO Starter Guide: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide
- GEO paper: https://arxiv.org/abs/2311.09735
- Language-speaker basis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_total_number_of_speakers