---
slug: "FailureTrace"
name: "FailureTrace"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "FailureTrace#8085"
sema_id: "sema:FailureTrace#mh:SHA-256:8085febc5bf923c52ce1856893c7739e5d9be3bdc021767766ad949f717a974e"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/FailureTrace/
related: ["AcceptSpec","Sign","ReceptivityGate"]
---

# FailureTrace

Signed, clause-specific rejection evidence

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

A structured, verifiable record of a downstream consumer's claim that an artifact violates a specific clause of the [AcceptSpec](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/AcceptSpec.md) it was measured against. When a consumer returns a rejection through a Solver's Feedback surface, the rejection carries a FailureTrace naming the clause, citing evidence, identifying the evaluator, and carrying a [Sign](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Sign.md) proof bound to the trace's content. The upstream Solver can therefore distinguish attributable, unaltered feedback from anonymous, forged, or modified traces. Invalid clause or evidence references, or a signature that does not verify for this trace, cause the feedback to be dropped. The record proves attribution and content integrity, not that the cited evidence entails the claimed violation.

## Invariants

- Clause-specific: the trace names exactly one [AcceptSpec](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/AcceptSpec.md) clause per violation, not a generic 'doesn't meet bar'.
- Evidence-bound: the violation claim is paired with citeable evidence from the artifact.
- Content-bound and timed: the trace carries the evaluator's identity, a signing-time assertion, and a [Sign](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Sign.md) proof over every other field; altering any covered field invalidates the proof.

## Failure modes

- Ghost clauses: the trace cites an AcceptSpec clause that does not exist (detectable via schema lookup).
- Evidence fabrication: the trace cites evidence the artifact does not contain (detectable via content hash).
- Signature failure: the evaluator identity is forged or a valid signature is attached to different trace content (detectable because the signature must verify for this trace).
- Duplicate replay: an unchanged, valid trace is resubmitted; content binding provides integrity, not freshness or deduplication.
- Clause-dancing: the consumer rejects for clause A while the real objection is clause B they did not invoke — no trace schema catches this by itself.
- Evidence too weak to entail: the cited evidence exists and does not establish the violation. All three invariants pass — they establish that citations resolve, not that they entail.

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "accept_spec_ref",
    "violated_clause",
    "evidence",
    "evaluator_ref",
    "signed_at",
    "trace_signature"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "accept_spec_ref": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "sema_id of the AcceptSpec the artifact was measured against"
    },
    "violated_clause": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Identifier of the specific clause claimed violated"
    },
    "evidence": {
      "type": "object",
      "description": "Citeable evidence from the artifact supporting the violation claim"
    },
    "evaluator_ref": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Evaluator identity and verification-key reference"
    },
    "severity": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "blocking",
        "advisory"
      ],
      "description": "Whether the violation halts progress or is informational"
    },
    "signed_at": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time",
      "description": "Evaluator-asserted signing time covered by trace_signature; key-validity and trusted-time policy are caller-supplied"
    },
    "trace_signature": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "A {{sign}} proof binding evaluator_ref to every other field in this FailureTrace; changing any other field invalidates the proof"
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [AcceptSpec](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/AcceptSpec.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Sign](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Sign.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [ReceptivityGate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/ReceptivityGate.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:FailureTrace#mh:SHA-256:8085febc5bf923c52ce1856893c7739e5d9be3bdc021767766ad949f717a974e`
- Ref: `FailureTrace#8085`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:FailureTrace#mh:SHA-256:416b450eb20e20b2b24b71d19b0bd43da9e9a7c0249dbdc2973797f68deb392f`
  - `sema:FailureTrace#mh:SHA-256:967649a371e7b5262536ec16d0556dde9447070001b841eab18734a93a8a0dbd`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/FailureTrace/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#FailureTrace)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/FailureTrace.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)