Valid base64 does not prove a supported formatCompare the decoded digest and data-URI MIME independently before repairing the wrong layer.

Give each capability one owner.

Durable attachmentPreserve the original

Storage validates identity, bytes, dimensions, and four accepted local formats.

Provider requestNegotiate or derive

Declare route media types, create a bounded rendition, or refuse locally before egress.

Build a policy-owned rendition.

originalimmutable
decodebounded
normalizeexplicit
encodesupported
validatedigest

Never fall back after conversion failure.

Animation

Choose first-frame, all-frame, or reject. Do not silently erase motion.

Resources

Bound pixels, frames, bytes, memory, time, concurrency, and cleanup.

Identity

Cache by source digest plus the complete rendition policy and encoder version.

Six proof gates.

Primary evidence.

Preserve evidence, adapt the wire.

The canonical guide maps six failure layers, capability metadata, safe rendition architecture, animation and decoder policy, a provider matrix, and sixteen release gates.

Read the complete guide