From d703179a20b828a8a21d2e0549b364348263b4e0 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Derek Scruggs Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2026 08:21:52 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Add answer-first FAQ schema and VCALM comparisons to verticals. Add FAQPage and TechArticle structured data plus answer-first intro paragraphs across the vertical landings and the why-vcalm page, so search and answer engines can extract direct answers. Move each vertical's "Why VCALM" pitch into its FAQ, retitled "Why VCALM vs. OID4?", and reframe the government answer around the DMV's per-wallet integration burden. Update .gitignore to exclude the local scratchpad folder. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 --- .gitignore | 6 +-- src/assets/styles.css | 13 ++++++ src/verticals/education/index.njk | 62 ++++++++++++++++++++++--- src/verticals/government/index.njk | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++++---- src/verticals/supply-chain/index.njk | 68 ++++++++++++++++++++++++---- src/why-vcalm.njk | 63 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-- 6 files changed, 248 insertions(+), 32 deletions(-) diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore index 2f2a0ac..4e031a4 100644 --- a/.gitignore +++ b/.gitignore @@ -7,7 +7,5 @@ _site/ .fastembed_cache/ .claude/ -# Internal planning / private material — must NOT land in a public repo -raw-materials.md -ia-education-flagship.md -seo-targets.md +# Internal planning +scratchpad/ diff --git a/src/assets/styles.css b/src/assets/styles.css index f4bb69e..aa2e767 100644 --- a/src/assets/styles.css +++ b/src/assets/styles.css @@ -299,6 +299,19 @@ p { color: var(--seal); } +/* Answer-first paragraph: a direct, extractable answer to the page's primary + query, placed right under the hero. Tuned for SEO/GEO (answer engines read + the top of the page first), so keep it visually quieter than the promise. */ +.hero .direct-answer { + margin-top: 1.25rem; + font-size: 1.02rem; + line-height: 1.6; + color: var(--ink-soft); + max-width: var(--measure); + border-left: 3px solid var(--seal); + padding-left: 1rem; +} + /* ============================ SCENARIO / PULLQUOTE ============================ */ .scenario { margin: 2rem 0; diff --git a/src/verticals/education/index.njk b/src/verticals/education/index.njk index 7eea650..435ab77 100644 --- a/src/verticals/education/index.njk +++ b/src/verticals/education/index.njk @@ -9,12 +9,37 @@ permalink: /education/ --- {# Single-page vertical: SERP magnet, human journey, and technical model on one screen. Answers "would this work for us?" without forcing a click-through. #} +

{{ title }}

Issue diplomas, transcripts, and enrollment proofs that any wallet can hold and any institution can verify — without a central identity provider.

+

+ To issue a digital diploma, a university signs it as a + W3C Verifiable Credential and delivers it to the graduate's + wallet over VCALM (the VC API). Any conformant wallet holds + it; any institution verifies it cryptographically — instantly, across + borders, with no central identity provider. +

@@ -130,10 +155,33 @@ permalink: /education/

-
-

Why VCALM vs. the alternative

-

- You pick a VCALM provider and can swap it. You aren't locked to one wallet - vendor or one stack. See the full comparison. -

-
+
+

Common questions

+
+

How do you issue a digital diploma?

+

+ The university signs the diploma as a W3C Verifiable Credential and + delivers it to the graduate's wallet over VCALM (the VC API). See the + issuer quick start. +

+ +

Can you verify academic credentials online?

+

+ Yes — an admissions office or employer checks the credential's + cryptographic proof and the issuer's identity instantly, with no calls to + the registrar, including across borders. +

+ +

Is there an API to issue student credentials?

+

+ Yes. VCALM (the VC API) is an open W3C HTTP API for issuing, presenting, + and verifying credentials. What is VCALM? +

+ +

Why VCALM vs. OID4?

+

+ You pick a VCALM provider and can swap it. You aren't locked to one wallet + vendor or one stack. See the full comparison. +

+
+
diff --git a/src/verticals/government/index.njk b/src/verticals/government/index.njk index 1d3df84..8276681 100644 --- a/src/verticals/government/index.njk +++ b/src/verticals/government/index.njk @@ -9,6 +9,24 @@ permalink: /government/ --- {# Single-page government/DMV vertical. Anchor: mobile driver's license (mDL). Lean on wallet-choice / no-allow-list / privacy — the user-liberty angle. #} +

{{ title }}

@@ -16,6 +34,14 @@ permalink: /government/ verifiable in person or online, with the wallet of their choice, and without locking citizens to a government-approved app.

+

+ To issue a mobile driver's license, a DMV signs it as a + W3C Verifiable Credential and delivers it to the resident's + wallet of choice over VCALM (the VC API). A relying party + verifies it cryptographically — in person or online — and with selective + disclosure the resident can prove one fact, like "over 21," without + revealing name, address, or birthdate. +

@@ -130,12 +156,36 @@ permalink: /government/

-
-

Why VCALM vs. the alternative

-

- The OpenID-based, mdoc-centric approach often pairs with wallet "attestation" - and allow-lists — the state, in effect, picks which apps citizens may use. - VCALM keeps wallet choice with the resident and works natively with W3C - Verifiable Credentials. See the full comparison. -

-
+
+

Common questions

+
+

Can a digital ID prove age without revealing a birthdate?

+

+ Yes. With selective disclosure, a resident proves a single fact — "over + 21," "license valid" — without revealing name, address, or birthdate. +

+ +

Does a mobile driver's license lock residents to a government app?

+

+ Not with VCALM — the license works with any conformant wallet. The + OpenID/mdoc approach often pairs with attestation and allow-lists that let + the state decide which apps are accepted. +

+ +

Is a VCALM mobile driver's license private?

+

+ Yes. Data minimization is built into every request, nothing is shared + without one-tap consent, and the state can't see where it's used. +

+ +

Why VCALM vs. OID4?

+

+ The OID4VCI / OID4VP, mdoc-centric approach often pairs with wallet + "attestation" and allow-lists — which means the DMV has to certify, and + build and maintain an integration for, every wallet it wants to support. + With VCALM, you issue once to an open standard and any conformant wallet + works, so there's no per-wallet integration to own. See + the full comparison. +

+
+
diff --git a/src/verticals/supply-chain/index.njk b/src/verticals/supply-chain/index.njk index a9370e6..4c3d8ca 100644 --- a/src/verticals/supply-chain/index.njk +++ b/src/verticals/supply-chain/index.njk @@ -10,6 +10,24 @@ permalink: /supply-chain/ {# Single-page supply-chain vertical. US-first: lead with "supply chain traceability / provenance" (US vocabulary; DSCSA/FSMA/UFLPA drivers). "Digital product passport" / DPP is the secondary EU framing. #} +

{{ title }}

@@ -17,6 +35,14 @@ permalink: /supply-chain/ so buyers, retailers, auditors, and customs can verify origin instantly, and counterfeits have nowhere to hide.

+

+ To build a digital product passport, a manufacturer signs a provenance + credential as a W3C Verifiable Credential over + VCALM (the VC API) and links it to the item. The credential + travels with the product; any buyer, retailer, or auditor verifies origin + cryptographically — no central database. The same record is called a + Digital Product Passport (DPP) in the EU. +

@@ -147,11 +173,37 @@ permalink: /supply-chain/

-
-

Why VCALM vs. the alternative

-

- You pick a VCALM provider and can swap it. The credential works with any - conformant wallet or scanner — you aren't locked to one vendor's app across - your whole supply chain. -

-
+
+

Common questions

+
+

What is a digital product passport (DPP)?

+

+ A tamper-evident, portable record of a product's origin, materials, and + conformity — mandated in the EU by the ESPR, and issued as a W3C + Verifiable Credential. It's the same capability the US calls supply chain + traceability and provenance. +

+ +

How do verifiable credentials prevent counterfeiting?

+

+ A genuine product carries a signed authenticity credential a counterfeiter + can't forge. Anyone can verify it without contacting the brand, so fakes + can't produce a valid credential. +

+ +

Does this meet DSCSA, FSMA, or UFLPA requirements?

+

+ Verifiable Credentials over VCALM provide the tamper-evident, portable + provenance these rules require — proof that travels with the product, with + no central database to breach. +

+ +

Why VCALM vs. OID4?

+

+ You pick a VCALM provider and can swap it. The credential works with any + conformant wallet or scanner — you aren't locked to one vendor's app + across your whole supply chain. See the full + comparison. +

+
+
diff --git a/src/why-vcalm.njk b/src/why-vcalm.njk index ee1e32d..626b783 100644 --- a/src/why-vcalm.njk +++ b/src/why-vcalm.njk @@ -3,14 +3,41 @@ layout: layouts/base.njk title: "VCALM vs OID4VCI / OID4VP — Why VCALM" description: "VCALM vs OID4VP and OID4VCI: a clear comparison for issuing and verifying Verifiable Credentials. Wallet choice, no vendor lock-in, one simple flow, native W3C VC support." permalink: /why-vcalm/ +structuredData: + "@context": "https://schema.org" + "@type": "TechArticle" + headline: "VCALM vs OID4VCI / OID4VP" + about: "Comparison of VCALM (the VC API) with the OpenID4VC protocols" + description: "How VCALM compares to OID4VCI and OID4VP for issuing and verifying Verifiable Credentials: wallet choice, vendor lock-in, flow, and W3C VC support." + author: + "@type": "Organization" + name: "Digital Bazaar, Inc." --- +

Why VCALM

- Both VCALM and the OpenID-based specs (OID4VCI and OID4VP) move credentials - between issuers, wallets, and verifiers. The difference is who stays in - control — the user, or the vendor. Here's what you get with VCALM, and where - the OpenID approach differs. + VCALM is an alternative to OID4VCI and OID4VP. All three + move credentials between issuers, wallets, and verifiers, but VCALM does it + in one exchange loop, keeps the user's choice of wallet, and carries W3C + Verifiable Credentials natively — where the OpenID specs split issuance and + presentation across two protocols and can restrict which wallets are + accepted. The difference is who stays in control: the user, or the vendor.

@@ -103,6 +130,34 @@ permalink: /why-vcalm/
+
+

Common questions

+
+

Is VCALM an alternative to OpenID4VP?

+

+ Yes. VCALM covers the same ground as OID4VCI and OID4VP — moving + credentials between issuers, wallets, and verifiers — while keeping + wallet choice with the user and avoiding vendor lock-in across the + lifecycle. +

+ +

Does OID4VCI support W3C Verifiable Credentials?

+

+ The OpenID4VC high-assurance profile (HAIP) is scoped to SD-JWT and ISO + mdoc formats and does not include W3C Verifiable Credentials. VCALM + carries standards-compliant W3C Verifiable Credentials natively. +

+ +

When should I choose VCALM?

+

+ When you want users to keep their choice of wallet, want to swap + providers without re-integrating across the stack, want issuance and + presentation in one flow, and have standardized on W3C Verifiable + Credentials. +

+
+
+

The simplest way to judge for yourself: look at what a developer actually implements.