# Quick-start cip.md Brief
**Creative Intellectual Property Charity**
**Version 1.0 — May 2026**
**Format: 15-minute deployment guide with copy-paste templates**
---
The minimum steps to deploy a working cip.md declaration: drafting the file, hosting it correctly at the domain root, adding the HTML head reference, and updating robots.txt.
---
## Step 1: Draft your cip.md file (5 minutes)
Copy the template below and fill in the bracketed fields with your information.
```
# cip.md — Creative Intellectual Property Declaration
# Generated by: [Your name or organisation]
# Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
# Standard: CIP v1.0
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
# SECTION 1: OPERATOR IDENTITY
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
CIP-Version: 1.0
CIP-Domain: [yourdomain.com]
CIP-Operator: [Your full legal name or organisation name]
CIP-Rights-Contact: [rights@yourdomain.com]
CIP-Declaration-Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
CIP-Expiry-Date: [YYYY-MM-DD — recommended: 12 months from declaration date]
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
# SECTION 2: RIGHTS BUNDLE
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
CIP-Rights-Expression: Subsisting
CIP-Rights-Reproduction: Subsisting
CIP-Rights-Distribution: Subsisting
CIP-Rights-Moral: Subsisting
CIP-Rights-NILP: Subsisting
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
# SECTION 3: INPUT PERMISSIONS
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
CIP-Training-Ingestion: Prohibited
CIP-Fine-Tuning: Prohibited
CIP-TDM-Opt-Out: true
CIP-TDM-Opt-Out-Scope: All-Content
CIP-TDM-Jurisdiction: UK, EU
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
# SECTION 4: OUTPUT LICENCE
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════
CIP-Output-Licence: All-Rights-Reserved
CIP-Attribution-Required: true
```
**Note:** This is a pre-certification draft. For a verified declaration with your certification credentials, complete the CIP CPD course and use the certified Generator at creativeip.org/dashboard/cip-generator.
---
## Step 2: Upload to your domain root (3 minutes)
Upload the file to your web server so it is accessible at:
```
https://yourdomain.com/cip.md
```
**For common hosting platforms:**
- **WordPress:** Upload to the root of your WordPress installation via FTP/SFTP, or use a file manager plugin
- **Squarespace / Wix:** Use the custom files or code injection feature to serve the file at /cip.md
- **Static sites (Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages):** Place `cip.md` in your `public/` or root directory
- **Custom server:** Place the file in your web root (e.g., `/var/www/html/cip.md`)
**Verify:** Visit `https://yourdomain.com/cip.md` in your browser. You should see the plain text of your declaration.
---
## Step 3: Add the HTML head reference (3 minutes)
Add this line to the `` section of every page on your site:
```html
```
**For common platforms:**
- **WordPress:** Add to your theme's `header.php` or use a plugin like "Insert Headers and Footers"
- **Next.js / React:** Add to your root layout component or `_document.tsx`
- **Static HTML:** Add directly to each page's `` tag
- **Squarespace / Wix:** Use the custom code / header code injection feature
---
## Step 4: Update your robots.txt (2 minutes)
Add this line to your `robots.txt` file:
```
CIP: https://yourdomain.com/cip.md
```
Your `robots.txt` should look something like:
```
User-agent: *
Allow: /
CIP: https://yourdomain.com/cip.md
```
**Verify:** Visit `https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt` and confirm the CIP line appears.
---
## Step 5: Verify your deployment (2 minutes)
Check all four items:
- [ ] `https://yourdomain.com/cip.md` loads and displays your declaration
- [ ] View source on any page and confirm the `` tag appears in ``
- [ ] `https://yourdomain.com/robots.txt` includes the `CIP:` line
- [ ] The `CIP-Domain` field in your cip.md matches your actual domain
---
## What happens next
Your cip.md declaration is now live. AI systems that respect the CIP standard will:
1. **Read your declaration** when crawling your site
2. **Respect your TDM opt-out** if declared
3. **Record your rights position** for provenance tracking
To upgrade from this basic declaration to a verified, certified declaration:
1. Complete the CIP CPD course at creativeip.org/courses (Level 1 is free)
2. Pass the certification quiz
3. Use the certified cip.md Generator to produce a declaration with your verified badge URL
4. Register your Core Data Records in the CIP Rights Registry
---
## Troubleshooting
**cip.md returns a 404:** Check that the file is in the correct directory and your server is configured to serve `.md` files with the correct MIME type (`text/plain`).
**robots.txt not updating:** Some hosting platforms cache robots.txt. Clear your CDN or hosting cache after updating.
**Not sure what values to use:** Start with the template above — it declares all rights as subsisting and prohibits AI training use. This is the most protective default. You can refine the declaration after completing the CIP CPD course.
---
*Creative Intellectual Property Charity — creativeip.org*
*This guide is provided for educational purposes. For a verified, certified declaration, complete the CIP CPD course and use the certified Generator.*