# The three admission routes

> The three routes into the directory: self-publication, takeover, documented consent.


A data source enters the directory on one of three routes: self-publication, entry takeover or documented consent. Which route fits depends on who writes and keeps the description.

## Which route fits {#wege}

| Route | Starting point | What the operator does | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-publication | You describe your source yourself and maintain the entry yourself. | Publishes the manifest under `/.well-known/` of their own domain; every interface is verified live before admission. | **open** — Phase 2 of the platform |
| Takeover | A description of your source already exists. | Takes it over and maintains it from then on. | **in operation** — in written form towards the association |
| Documented consent | You consent to an entry being maintained. | Declares the consent in documented form; it is part of the register. | **in operation** — in written form towards the association |

## Today's route, step by step {#schritte}

1. **Draft the manifest.** Per the [manifest standard](../reference/manifest-standard.md); the tutorial [A manifest in 15 minutes](../tutorials/manifest-in-15-minutes.md) gets you there.
2. **Validate it yourself.** Against the dated JSON Schema; unknown keys are errors.
3. **Declaration in written form.** Manifest and declaration (takeover or consent, for which source, by whom) to `admin@openhelvetia.swiss`. The declaration is recorded in the register. No processing period has been decided.
4. **Verification.** Every interface is checked live, with the minimal harmless probe the manifest itself names (`probe: kind → expect`). The verification status is part of the register.
5. **The entry appears.** In the index `/directory.json`, as a byte-identical copy under `/directory/{slug}/manifest.json` and as an HTML page per language. On any divergence between index and manifest, the manifest governs.

## For machines {#maschinen}

The same route, pointer-driven: `/.well-known/openhelvetia.json` (identity and pointers; `pointers.publish` points at the documentation), `/directory.json` (the index), `/llms.txt` (orientation).

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Source: docs/en/how-to/admission-routes.md