Overview

An Internet Standard is a appropriate Request for Comments (RFC) or set of RFCs. An RFC that is to become a Standard or allotment of a Standard begins as an Internet Draft, and is afterwards (usually afterwards several revisions) accustomed and appear by the RFC Editor as a RFC and labeled a Proposed Standard. Later, an RFC can be labeled Internet Standard. Collectively, these stages are accepted as the Standards Track, and are authentic in RFC 2026 and RFC 6410. The characterization Historic is activated to deprecated Standards Track abstracts or anachronistic RFCs that were appear afore the Standards Track was established.

Only the IETF, represented by the Internet Engineering Steering Group (IESG), can accept Standards Track RFCs. The absolute account of Internet Standards is maintained in Internet Standards certificate STD 1: Internet Official Protocol Standards.