“Best current practices” usually means methods or guidance regarded as especially appropriate at a particular time. In Internet standards, however, Best Current Practice (BCP) has a specific meaning: it is an IETF document category for recording practices, principles, or process guidance that reflect the Internet community’s current thinking. A BCP is not automatically an Internet Standard.
Because the phrase is used in many fields, its precise meaning depends on context. The IETF usage is a well-documented technical example, not a universal definition for healthcare, business, education, or every other profession.
What is a Best Current Practice (BCP) in the IETF?
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) publishes documents in the RFC series. Within that series, a BCP records guidance the IETF community considers its best current thinking. RFC 2026 describes the BCP subseries as a way to standardize practices and the results of community deliberations: RFC 2026, “The Internet Standards Process — Revision 3”.
That guidance can cover technical practices, but it can also address principles, administrative processes, or how the IETF carries out its work. The IETF’s RFC overview describes BCPs as documents that may cover Internet best practices and IETF administrative processes.
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Is a BCP the same as an Internet Standard?
No. BCP and Internet Standard are distinct RFC categories or statuses. The IETF distinguishes BCPs from Internet Standards, which are identified in the RFC series as STD documents. An Internet Standard is associated with demonstrated interoperability and wide deployment; BCP status by itself does not give a document that status.
| Category | Purpose | What the label means |
|---|---|---|
| Best Current Practice (BCP) | Documents community practice, principles, or process guidance. | It is guidance designated as the IETF community’s best current thinking; it is not automatically an Internet Standard. |
| Internet Standard (STD) | Specifies technology intended to function as an Internet Standard. | The IETF associates this status with demonstrated interoperability and wide deployment. |
The distinction is also explicit in the historical RFC 1818, published in August 1995 and now labeled Historic. It describes BCP documents as endorsed through IESG review and states that a BCP cannot become an official Internet Standard. Use that document for the historical distinction; the IETF overview is the more current source for the categories.
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How should you interpret “best” and “current”?
In BCP, “best” does not mean universally superior in every setting, and “current” does not guarantee that a document remains up to date indefinitely. The designation identifies a type of IETF publication and the community thinking it represents. To understand a particular BCP, check what it applies to and whether later RFCs have updated or replaced it.
RFC 2026, published in October 1996 as BCP 9, describes a standards process involving community review, revision based on experience, and publication. It lists goals including technical excellence, implementation and testing, clear documentation, openness, fairness, and timeliness. Those are the process goals stated in that RFC; they should not be taken as proof that every BCP underwent identical testing or remains current. RFC 2026’s page lists later updates, so current procedural details should be checked in the linked revisions.
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What does “best current practices” mean outside the IETF?
Outside the RFC context, the phrase is ordinary descriptive language unless a particular field’s organization gives it a more specific definition. The title alone does not identify a regulator, profession, or task, so it cannot establish one authoritative meaning across industries. In a field-specific question, consult the relevant regulator, professional body, or standards organization and check the date and scope of its guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How large is the RFC series?
The IETF RFC overview described the series as containing more than 9,000 documents when observed in 2026. That approximate, changing total counts RFC documents overall, not BCPs.
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