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Linked Web Storage (LWS)

W3C Working Group bringing Solid principles to the web platform. Targeting W3C Recommendation 2026.

Vision​

Solid has proven the concept of user-controlled data storage. LWS aims to take these principles and standardize them at the W3C level, making decentralized storage a core part of the web platform — not just an application protocol.

Goals​

Platform-Level Standard​

Move from "apps that support Solid" to "the web supports user storage."

Browser Integration​

Potential for native browser support, like:

  • Built-in pod management
  • Storage permissions UI
  • Cross-origin data sharing controls

Interoperability​

A W3C Recommendation means:

  • Multiple implementations
  • Conformance testing
  • Long-term stability
  • Vendor adoption

Relationship to Solid​

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 Solid                        │
│  (Full protocol with OIDC, WAC, etc.)       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│           Linked Web Storage                 │
│  (Core W3C standard for web platform)       │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│              Solid Lite                      │
│  (Minimal profile, 80/20 approach)          │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
  • Solid — Full ecosystem with authentication, access control, apps
  • LWS — Core storage primitive for the web platform
  • Solid Lite — Practical minimal implementation profile

Scope (Proposed)​

In Scope​

  • Linked Data storage over HTTP
  • Container model (LDP-like)
  • Content negotiation for RDF formats
  • Basic access control primitives
  • Resource metadata

Potentially In Scope​

  • Authentication framework hooks
  • Notification mechanisms
  • Discovery protocols

Out of Scope​

  • Specific authentication methods (deferred to profiles)
  • Application-level vocabularies
  • UI requirements

Timeline​

PhaseTarget
Working Group Charter2025
First Public Working Draft2025
Candidate Recommendation2026
W3C Recommendation2026

How to Get Involved​

Follow Progress​

  • Join the mailing list
  • Attend public meetings
  • Review drafts

Contribute​

  • Provide use cases
  • Review specifications
  • Build implementations
  • Report issues

Implement​

Early implementations help:

  • Validate the spec
  • Find edge cases
  • Build ecosystem momentum

Why This Matters​

For Users​

A W3C standard means your data isn't locked to any vendor's implementation of Solid.

For Developers​

Build on a stable foundation with multiple interoperable implementations.

For the Web​

Decentralized storage becomes as fundamental as HTTP itself.

See Also​