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The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) is an open organization that develops technical documents and voluntary standards for the Internet. It helps engineers agree on how Internet technologies should work; it does not operate, regulate, or police the Internet. Its stated goal is “to make the Internet work better.”
What does the IETF do?
The IETF develops technical specifications, best current practices, and informational documents. These can guide how Internet technologies are designed, implemented, and managed. Its work is intended to support interoperability: systems built by different people and organizations can communicate when they follow compatible specifications.
The IETF’s process and published standards are open, and its standards documents are freely available. The IETF describes its principles as including open process, technical competence, a volunteer core, rough consensus and running code, and protocol ownership. In practice, that means discussion and decisions are visible, engineering judgment matters, and implementation experience helps inform the work.
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How does IETF work become a standard?
Most technical work happens in working groups. Participants develop and discuss proposals, commonly starting with an Internet-Draft. Drafts are revised through open discussion; agreement is based on rough consensus rather than a simple vote. After review and approval through the standards process, a document can receive editorial processing and be published as an RFC.
- A technical need is discussed: Participants bring a problem or proposal to the relevant working group.
- An Internet-Draft is developed: The group discusses and refines a draft specification or other document.
- The work is reviewed: The draft proceeds through the IETF’s review and approval steps, with decisions made through rough consensus.
- A document may be published: Approved work receives editorial processing and can appear in the RFC series. Publication as an RFC does not by itself make it an Internet Standard.
The IETF standards-process guide describes the process and document types.
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Who manages IETF work?
Different IETF bodies have distinct roles; they are not interchangeable.
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- Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG) is responsible for technical management of IETF activities and the Internet standards process.
- Internet Architecture Board (IAB) provides long-range technical direction.
The IETF’s groups overview explains these roles.
What is the difference between an RFC and an Internet Standard?
RFC is the historical abbreviation for “Request for Comments” and the name of a technical publication series. RFCs include documents with different origins and statuses. Some record IETF protocols or other technical material, but not every RFC was produced by the IETF, and an IETF document is not automatically an Internet Standard just because it is published as an RFC.
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In short, RFC identifies a publication series; Internet Standard describes a standards status reached through the relevant process. Check a document’s status rather than assuming that every RFC is a standard.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can anyone participate in the IETF?
The IETF has no formal membership. Interested people can participate through working-group mailing lists or by registering for meetings. Participants are expected to contribute as individuals, even when an employer pays for their participation. The IETF’s introduction describes participation and its principles: Introduction to the IETF.
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