the language

model

Default model · `<provider>/<name>` (e.g. ollama/qwen3.5:9b · anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6 · mock/echo). One of 59 words the served contract declares, projected from workflow.schema.json, the same file your editor validates against.

3surfacesenvelope · infer · agent
optionaleverywherea choice, never a miss
stringtypethe declared shape
7skeletonscarry this key

the contract

3 declarations

Descriptions are the schema's own; the deeper invariants (value languages and regexes) ride the same projection. A miss is a nika check finding before anything runs.

envelope: stringDefault model · `<provider>/<name>` (e.g. ollama/qwen3.5:9b · anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6 · mock/echo).the file itself
infer: stringinside infer:
agent: stringinside agent:

in a real file

from the chain skeleton

chain.nika.yaml

14model: ollama/qwen3.5:4b           # SLOT: provider/model · local · zero key

a verbatim slice, real line numbers from chain.nika.yaml, conformance-gated upstream on every spec push. open the full skeleton →

cross-references

skeletons that carry it

where it lives

accepted by

[{"slug":"the-agent-workflow-spectrum","title":"The agent workflow spectrum","date":"2026-07-11"},{"slug":"the-pipeline-is-a-file","title":"The pipeline is a file","date":"2026-07-11"},{"slug":"written-by-agents","title":"Written by agents, reviewed by you","date":"2026-07-11"}]

from the blog

defined by

the block it lives in

envelope: the file itself

infer: inside infer:

agent: inside agent:

The whole grammar in one place: the four verbs · the standard library · the spec. Try it in the playground. Read the reference →