---
id: META-7
family: RT-META
level: extended
profiles: [runtime, editor-client]
posture: normative-target
added: "1.0"
changed: "1.0"
source: https://flowdrop.io/spec/rules/rt-meta/meta-7
specification: FlowDrop Workflow Specification 1.0-draft
licence: CC BY 4.0
---

# META-7 — A conditional schema request is exact string equality and nothing more

*RT-META (Part II) · level: extended · profiles: runtime, editor-client · added in 1.0*

A partial wildcard implementation would report "unchanged" to a client that holds no copy at all, which is worse than answering unconditionally.

## The rule

> **Normative.** This is the rule.
>
> 1. `If-None-Match` on a workflow schema read is compared for exact string equality against the tag of the variant being requested.
>
> 2. A match answers `304` carrying the entity tag and the body `{}`, and does so before the schema itself is assembled.
>
> 3. A mismatch answers the full `200`.
>
> 4. The wildcard `*`, a comma-separated list of tags and weak comparison are not implemented: a caller sending any of them receives a correct but unconditional `200`.
>
> 5. Each variant answers its own conditional request, so carrying the variant in the tag costs no variant a `304`.

## Related rules

- Names: META-6
- Referenced by: META-6

---

Rule identifiers are permanent and are never renumbered. This specification carries
no implementation status: each implementation publishes its own standing against
these rules. Licensed CC BY 4.0.