diff --git a/docs/policy/documentation.md b/docs/policy/documentation.md
index d1514d3..9ace9dc 100644
--- a/docs/policy/documentation.md
+++ b/docs/policy/documentation.md
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ Canonical homes:
 
 - project purpose and quickstart: `README.md`
 - development principles: `docs/policy/architecture.md`
+- public HTTP API reference: `docs/api.md`
 - configuration reference: `docs/config.md`
 - CLI reference: `docs/cli.md`
 - operations and recovery: `docs/operations.md`
@@ -122,6 +123,22 @@ Recommended:
 - `docs/troubleshooting.md`
 - validated examples under `examples/`
 
+### Public HTTP API service
+
+Required:
+- `docs/api.md`
+- `docs/cli.md`, if CLI-based
+- `docs/config.md`, if config-driven
+- `docs/operations.md`
+- `docs/internal/`
+- `docs/policy/development.md`
+
+Recommended:
+- `docs/troubleshooting.md`
+- `docs/consumers/`, for task-oriented client integration guides
+- `docs/integrations/`, for upstream/downstream service contracts
+- validated examples under `examples/`
+
 ### Project with public packages or consumer APIs
 
 Required:
@@ -173,6 +190,32 @@ It should include:
 
 For small projects, this file may be brief. It may simply state that the project is intentionally narrow, monolithic, and dependency-light.
 
+### docs/api.md
+
+**Audience:** external HTTP API consumers, developers, LLM coding agents integrating by HTTP
+
+Required for projects whose primary public interface is HTTP.
+
+`docs/api.md` is the canonical public HTTP API contract. It should be normative for external consumers and should not be duplicated by README, operations docs, consumer guides, or integration docs.
+
+It should include:
+
+1. base URL conventions;
+2. authentication and authorization behavior, if implemented;
+3. response envelope;
+4. supported media types and content negotiation behavior;
+5. shared query parameters;
+6. endpoint reference grouped by route family;
+7. request parameters and validation rules;
+8. response fields, units, nullability, and optionality;
+9. error response shape and status codes;
+10. pagination, caching, rate-limit, idempotency, and retry behavior, if implemented;
+11. compact request and response examples.
+
+It must document only implemented endpoints and behavior. Planned endpoints, proposed fields, future filters, and experimental response shapes belong only under `docs/roadmap/`.
+
+For HTTP API projects, `docs/consumers/` may provide task-oriented client integration guides, but those guides should link to `docs/api.md` for the authoritative endpoint contract.
+
 ### docs/policy/development.md
 
 **Audience:** developers, LLM coding agents
@@ -264,6 +307,8 @@ Required for projects with public packages, SDKs, client APIs, plugin APIs, or o
 
 This directory describes how an external codebase should consume the project's public API. It should be task-oriented and copyable where useful. It is not the place for internal implementation details or operator procedures.
 
+For projects whose public API is HTTP, `docs/consumers/` is not required, and it should not duplicate the endpoint reference in `docs/api.md`. If present, it may provide practical integration workflows, client-specific examples, or migration notes that link back to `docs/api.md`.
+
 `docs/consumers/api.md` should provide the consumer-facing overview and primary implementation workflow. It should include:
 
 1. intended consumer audience and use cases;
@@ -330,6 +375,8 @@ Required for projects that depend on external CLIs, APIs, services, protocols, o
 
 This directory contains concise, versioned reference notes for external integration contracts. It should document only the parts of the external system that this project actually uses or exposes.
 
+For public HTTP API services, `docs/integrations/` should document upstream, downstream, storage, protocol, or runtime contracts that the service depends on or bridges. It should not become a second copy of the public HTTP endpoint reference; that belongs in `docs/api.md`.
+
 Use one file per integration where useful.
 
 ## Examples Directory
@@ -385,9 +432,10 @@ Before merging documentation changes, verify:
 
 - README is concise and orientation-focused.
 - `docs/policy/architecture.md` describes development principles.
+- `docs/api.md` is the canonical HTTP contract for HTTP API services.
 - Future work appears only under `docs/roadmap/`.
 - User-facing docs avoid unnecessary internals.
-- Consumer-facing docs explain public APIs without duplicating integration contracts.
+- Consumer-facing docs explain public APIs without duplicating HTTP endpoint or integration contracts.
 - Developer-facing docs preserve boundaries and invariants.
 - Config examples match the schema.
 - CLI examples match real commands and flags.