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The AIP Process

The AIP process is defined in AIP-001, a Living AIP that's always up to date. This page covers the practical steps.

Status Lifecycle​

Draft → Review → Last Call → Final
                           → Stagnant (no activity 6+ months)
                           → Withdrawn (author pulls it)

Living is a special final state for proposals that are meant to be continuously updated (like membership lists or the AIP guidelines themselves). Obsolete marks proposals superseded by a newer AIP.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough​

1. Write a Draft​

Clone the dao-aips repository and create a new file using the AIP template. A complete AIP includes:

  • Preamble — Title, author(s), type, status, created date
  • Abstract — One or two sentences describing the proposal
  • Motivation — Why this change is needed
  • Specification — The full technical or operational description
  • Rationale — Why this approach over alternatives
  • Backwards Compatibility — Any impact on existing processes or systems

Open a pull request to the repo with your draft.

2. Review​

Once the PR is submitted, your AIP enters Review status. The community discusses it on the DAO forum and in Discord. AIP Editors check the proposal for completeness and formatting — they don't evaluate the idea itself.

Engage with feedback and revise your AIP in response.

3. Last Call​

When the author believes the AIP is ready, they request Last Call status. This is a final notice to the community — typically lasting a week — to raise any remaining objections before a vote is scheduled.

4. Snapshot Vote​

After Last Call, an AIP Editor creates the vote on Snapshot. The vote uses the standard text from AIP-001:

"Should AIP-XXX: [Title] be accepted and executed?"

Vote parameters:

  • Delay: 1 day after proposal creation
  • Duration: 7 days
  • Quorum: 2,000,000 ARROW (including vested tokens)
  • Choices: For / Against / Abstain

5. Final or Withdrawn​

If the vote passes quorum and a majority votes For, the AIP moves to Final (or Living if it's meant to be updated over time). A Final AIP is canonical — it cannot be modified. Changes require a new AIP.

If the author withdraws the proposal at any point, it is marked Withdrawn. If a Final AIP is replaced by a newer one, it becomes Obsolete.

AIP Editors​

AIP Editors are listed in AIP-003. Their responsibilities:

  • Review submitted AIPs for completeness and correct formatting
  • Assign AIP numbers
  • Create the Snapshot vote once Last Call ends
  • Maintain the dao-aips repository

Editors do not have veto power over proposals. Their role is administrative, not evaluative.