# Execution Posture > How strongly a document is expected to govern behavior. ## Summary Execution posture declares **how executable a document intends to be**. It prevents forced structure while still enabling agent usefulness. Documents should be **as executable as they naturally allow — no more, no less**. --- ## Allowed Values ### `governing` - Defines constraints, rules, or standards - Expected to change agent behavior - High extraction value for context packs ### `operational` - Guides action without strict enforcement - Playbooks, workflows, how-tos - Moderate extraction expectations ### `exploratory` - Thinking tools, essays, design exploration - Human-first - Minimal or no executable structure required ### `routing` - Indexes, maps, glossaries - Exists to point, not to govern - Extraction focuses on links and triggers only --- ## Required Frontmatter Field ```yaml execution_posture: governing | operational | exploratory | routing ``` --- ## Governing Principle Executable structure is an affordance, not a requirement. If a section would be forced or misleading, it should be omitted intentionally. --- ## Compiler Expectations - Governing docs: missing executable sections should WARN - Operational docs: missing sections may WARN - Exploratory and routing docs: missing sections are expected Compilers must never auto-generate content. --- ## Operating Constraints - MUST declare execution_posture in frontmatter for all documents - MUST NOT force executable structure on exploratory or routing documents - MUST NOT auto-generate content to satisfy compiler requirements - MUST treat executable structure as an affordance, not a requirement - MUST omit sections deliberately if they would be forced or misleading --- ## Defaults - When uncertain about posture, start with operational and upgrade to governing based on observed impact - Governing docs expect most required sections; operational expects a subset - Exploratory and routing docs may omit executable sections entirely - Compilers warn but do not block on missing sections --- ## Failure Modes - **Forced Structure**: Adding sections that don't apply just to satisfy tooling - **Posture Inflation**: Marking documents as governing when they're actually operational - **Auto-Generation**: Compilers filling in missing sections with generated content - **Template Cargo Cult**: Copying section headings without meaningful content - **Exploratory Suppression**: Forcing executable structure on thinking-tools and essays --- ## Verification - execution_posture is declared in frontmatter - Section presence matches declared posture expectations - Forced or empty sections have been deliberately omitted - Compilers emit warnings, not errors, for missing sections - No auto-generated content in executable sections