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Skills
Chapter 3 of 20
Index of the Convex Architecture Documents (CADs), the normative specifications for Convex.
2 minutes · 333 words · 8 sections
CADs are the normative specifications for Convex. Where the code and a CAD disagree, that is a bug in one of them — not a licence to pick either. Before changing behaviour in a specified area, read the governing CAD and say which one you relied on.
Read them at https://docs.convex.world/docs/cad/<slug> — the slug is the
CAD directory name without its numeric prefix, e.g. CAD003 is
https://docs.convex.world/docs/cad/encoding.
If the design repository is checked out alongside this one, the sources are
in design/docs/cad/<nnn>_<slug>/index.md. Do not assume it is present.
20 chapters · 30 min
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 000 | principles | Design principles behind every other decision |
| 001 | arch | Overall architecture |
| 002 | values | CVM values |
| 003 | encoding | CAD3 encoding format — see the cad3-encoding skill |
| 004 | accounts | Accounts, addresses, controllers |
| 005 | cvmex | CVM execution model |
| 033 | cvmtypes | CVM type system |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 006 | memory | Memory accounting and allowances — see the memory skill |
| 007 | juice | Juice accounting and pricing — see the juice skill |
| 020 | tokenomics | Coin supply, distribution, denominations |
| 016 | peerstake | Peer staking |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 008 | compiler | Compiler |
| 009 | expanders | Expanders and macros |
| 011 | errors | Error handling and error codes |
| 012 | numerics | Numeric semantics |
| 013 | metadata | Metadata |
| 026 | lisp | Convex Lisp |
| 032 | reader | CVX reader syntax |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 010 | transactions | Transaction format and lifecycle |
| 015 | peercomms | Peer communication protocol |
| 017 | peerops | Peer operations |
| 018 | scheduler | Scheduled execution |
| 021 | observability | Observability |
| 027 | log | Event logging |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 047 | etch | Etch storage format — see the etch skill |
| 024 | data_lattice | Data lattice |
| 035 | cursors | Lattice cursors |
| 036 | lattice_node | Lattice node |
| 037 | kv_database | KV database |
| 039 | convex_sql | Convex SQL — see the convex-db skill |
| 040 | lattice_queue | Lattice queue |
| 028 | dlfs | Data Lattice File System |
| 044 | json | JSON on the lattice |
| 045 | lattice_apps | Lattice applications |
| 046 | cell_explorer | Cell explorer |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 019 | assets | Asset model |
| 029 | fungible | Fungible token standard — see the token skill |
| 031 | nft_metadata | NFT metadata |
| 030 | torus | Torus DEX |
| 022 | trustmon | Trust monitors — the authorisation model; see the trust skill |
| 014 | cns | Convex Name System — see the cns skill |
| 034 | curated_registry | Curated registry |
| 023 | keystore | Keystore |
| 025 | wallet | HD wallets |
| 038 | lattice_auth | Lattice authentication |
| 043 | did | Decentralised identity |
| CAD | Slug | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 041 | mcp | Model Context Protocol |
| 042 | x402 | x402 protocol |
CAD 0000cads is the index and describes the CAD process itself.
Install this repository
npx skills add Convex-Dev/convexSkills install per repository, not per chapter — the CLI has no documented per-skill form, so we do not print one.
Index of the Convex Architecture Documents (CADs), the normative specifications for Convex. Use to find which CAD governs a subsystem before changing protocol, encoding, consensus or economic behaviour.
The verbatim description from this skill’s front matter — the string an agent matches on to decide whether to load it.
develop, last pushed 8 August 2026.SKILL.md, not by matching a directory convention. One layout observed: .claude/skills/*/SKILL.md.h1 and no skipped levels:/Convex-Dev/convex.md, and each chapter at its own .md URL.