Protocols - Rive

Protocols are the structured categories of scripts that tell the Editor what you’re trying to make. Rive currently ships with the following protocols, with more to come:

Node
Layout
Converter
Path Effect - Create custom path effects.
Transition Conditions - Create custom state machine transition conditions.
Listener Actions - React to state machine listeners.
Blank - Share helper logic across scripts.
Test - Unit test your functions.
File Format - Read and write a binary file format.
Text File Format - Read and write a text file format.

Each protocol represents a different kind of script the Editor can generate: a converter that shapes data, a custom drawing function, a layout helper, a testing harness, a path effect you can attach to strokes, and so on. Selecting a protocol generates a typed scaffold that defines the surface area you’re allowed to operate on. From there, you work with Rive-native concepts — paths, shapes, view models, artboards, state machines, timelines — but always through the lens of the protocol you picked. It keeps scripts specific and prevents “do anything anywhere” chaos.