# [What Is the Agentic Web?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23analysis) Source HTML: [what-is-the-agentic-web-gpt5-chat-1.html](what-is-the-agentic-web-gpt5-chat-1.html) Associated RDF: [../rdf/what-is-the-agentic-web-gpt5-chat-1.ttl](../rdf/what-is-the-agentic-web-gpt5-chat-1.ttl) [Richard MacManus](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23richardMacManus) defines the [Agentic Web](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-agentic-web) as a phase where AI agents discover, interpret, and act on websites and digital products on behalf of users. ![The 4 eras of the web](https://ricmac.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/4-web-eras-optimized.jpg) ## Web Eras - [Read web / dot-com era](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23readWebEra) (1990-2003): Websites primarily published information for people to consume. - [Read/write web / Web 2.0](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23readWriteWebEra) (2004-2012): Blogs, wikis, social software, APIs, smartphones, and social media expanded participation. - [Platform web](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23platformWebEra) (2013-2021): Large platforms increasingly mediated discovery, distribution, and monetization. - [Agentic web / AI era](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23agenticWebEra) (2022-present): AI systems increasingly mediate how people discover and use websites and digital products. ## Core Claims - [Agentic web definition](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23agenticWebDefinition): The agentic web is an emerging phase where AI agents discover, interpret, and act on websites and digital products on behalf of users. - [AI agents are a new class of user](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23newClassOfUserClaim): AI agents do not browse like humans; they extract, compare, summarize, cite, and increasingly act. - [Websites still matter](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23websitesStillMatter): Websites remain canonical places to publish ideas, explain products, establish identity, build trust, and share durable sources of truth. - [Shift from pages to capabilities](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23pagesToCapabilities): The web shifts from documents and destinations toward exposed capabilities such as search, retrieve, compare, subscribe, book, buy, query, configure, and act. - [Website as data and context layer](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23destinationToContextLayer): Sites become sources of underlying content, structure, metadata, and capabilities that AI systems can use. - [Capability surface for humans and agents](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23capabilitySurface): Human-facing interfaces are no longer enough; sites need agent-readable and agent-usable surfaces. - [Navigation becomes delegation](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23delegationToAgents): Users increasingly delegate discovery and task execution to AI agents rather than directly clicking through every interface. - [Model Context Protocol milestone](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23mcpMilestone): The article identifies Anthropic's late-2024 Model Context Protocol as a major step toward connecting agents with external tools and data. - [Open agentic web milestone](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23openAgenticWebMilestone): The article notes Microsoft's 2025 open agentic web framing and W3C activity around AI agent protocols. - [Agent Experience Assessment](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23agentExperienceAssessment): The source presents an assessment service for evaluating how well a website works from an agent point of view. ## FAQ ### [What is the agentic web?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q1) [It is a phase of the web where AI agents discover, interpret, and act on websites and digital products on behalf of users.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a1) ### [Does the article say websites will disappear?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q2) [No. It argues websites still matter and their role expands as canonical sources and agent-accessible capability surfaces.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a2) ### [What changes from the page model?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q3) [The article says the web moves from pages and destinations toward capabilities that agents can understand and use.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a3) ### [What are examples of capabilities?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q4) [Search, retrieve, compare, summarize, subscribe, book, buy, query, configure, and act are named as examples.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a4) ### [How does the article define agentic?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q5) [Agentic derives from agency: the ability to act or choose actions; in AI it refers to systems pursuing goals with tools and autonomy.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a5) ### [What are the four eras of the web?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q6) [Read web, read/write web, platform web, and agentic web are the four eras described.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a6) ### [Why is MCP important in the article?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q7) [Model Context Protocol is presented as a standard way for AI systems to connect with external tools and data sources.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a7) ### [What standards activity is mentioned?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q8) [The article mentions the W3C AI Agent Protocol Community Group exploring foundations for the emerging web.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a8) ### [What does AI agent as user mean?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q9) [It means websites must serve not only human visitors but also agents that extract, compare, cite, and act.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a9) ### [What should websites expose?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q10) [They should expose content, structure, metadata, APIs, protocols, and product capabilities that agents can interpret.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a10) ### [What service does Richard MacManus offer?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q11) [He offers an Agent Experience Assessment for evaluating how a site works from an agent point of view.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a11) ### [What is the main takeaway?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23q12) [The web is not ending; it is changing from human-only pages into agent-readable, capability-oriented surfaces.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23a12) ## Glossary - [Agentic Web](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-agentic-web): [A web phase in which AI agents discover, interpret, and act on websites and digital products for users.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-agentic-web) - [AI agent](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-ai-agent): [An AI system able to pursue goals, use tools, interact with software, and complete tasks with some autonomy.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-ai-agent) - [Capability surface](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-capability-surface): [The agent-usable layer through which a website exposes actions, data, and context.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-capability-surface) - [Model Context Protocol](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-model-context-protocol): [A protocol introduced by Anthropic to connect AI systems with external tools and data sources.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-model-context-protocol) - [AI Agent Protocol](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-ai-agent-protocol): [A standards-oriented effort for defining technical foundations that help agents operate across the web.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-ai-agent-protocol) - [Platform web](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-platform-web): [The era when large platforms mediated discovery, distribution, and monetization.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-platform-web) - [Read/write web](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-read-write-web): [The Web 2.0 era of blogs, wikis, APIs, social software, and user-generated participation.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-read-write-web) - [Canonical source of truth](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-canonical-source): [A durable website or page treated as the authoritative reference for identity, knowledge, or product information.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-canonical-source) - [Agent experience](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-agent-experience): [How well a website or product surface can be discovered, understood, and used by AI agents.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-agent-experience) - [Metadata](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23term-metadata): [Structured descriptive information that helps humans and machines understand content, entities, relationships, and actions.](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23definition-metadata) ## HowTo 1. [Map human and agent users](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step1): Identify what people do directly and what agents may need to do on their behalf. 2. [Inventory site capabilities](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step2): List actions such as search, retrieve, compare, subscribe, book, buy, query, configure, and act. 3. [Expose structured content](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step3): Improve metadata, entity descriptions, canonical URLs, feeds, and machine-readable summaries. 4. [Add agent-facing interfaces](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step4): Provide APIs, protocol endpoints, MCP servers, or other tool surfaces where appropriate. 5. [Preserve human trust signals](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step5): Keep clear authorship, source provenance, editorial context, and human-readable pages. 6. [Test with agent workflows](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step6): Evaluate how agents discover, interpret, cite, and execute tasks using the site. 7. [Iterate toward open interoperability](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23step7): Track standards and adapt the site so agents can operate without fragile scraping or platform lock-in. ## Sources and Attribution - Source work: [What is the agentic web?](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23sourceArticle) by [Richard MacManus](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23richardMacManus), published on [May 8, 2026](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23publishedMetric). - Skills used: [kg-generator](https://github.com/OpenLinkSoftware/ai-agent-skills/tree/main/kg-generator), [rdf-infographic-skill](https://github.com/OpenLinkSoftware/ai-agent-skills/tree/main/rdf-infographic-skill). - Generation environment: LLM/interface [gpt5-chat](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23gpt5ChatInterface); client [Codex desktop](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23codexDesktopEnvironment); source delivery [ricmac.org via Cloudflare, Hostinger, LiteSpeed, PHP, and WordPress](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fricmac.org%2F2026%2F05%2F08%2Fwhat-is-the-agentic-web%2F%23sourceDeliveryServer); Linked Data resolver/server platform [URIBurner](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/), backed by [OpenLink Virtuoso](https://virtuoso.openlinksw.com/). - Resolver pattern: visible domain entities use [URIBurner describe links](https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/fct) via the `{cname}/{describe}/{query}` pattern, as in `https://linkeddata.uriburner.com/describe/?url={uri}`, over RDF hash IRIs.