Streams and Framing

How moq-transport uses QUIC/WebTransport streams, and how the inventory of stream types changed across draft-14 → draft-16 → draft-17 → draft-18 → draft-19 → draft-20. Companion to subgroups-and-objects (which covers what flows inside each stream type).

draft-18 (published 2026-05-12) is mostly small-delta on framing plus a large Security-Considerations buildout. The framing-relevant changes: Required Request ID removed (#1615 — Request ID is now retained only for Joining FETCH and GOAWAY); a FIRST_OBJECT bit added to SUBGROUP_HEADER (#1618); SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE split into discovery (0x50) + SUBSCRIBE_TRACKS (0x51) (#1542); PUBLISH_OK collapsed into a REQUEST_OK alias (#1611); DELIVERY_TIMEOUT split into OBJECT_/SUBGROUP_ variants (#1605); REDIRECT reworked (#1534/#1617). Details inline below.

draft-19 (2026-07-06) framing delta: Range Filters landed (#1765); PUBLISH_BLOCKED renamed PUBLISH_SKIPPED (#1779); FIN vs. RST/STOP_SENDING semantics defined on request streams (#1698); Request ID removed from GOAWAY (#1623); the control-message Payload field renamed Message Body (#1756); datagrams take precedence in cross-forwarding-preference scheduling ties (#1780); Object Status payload rule made IANA-extensible (#1760).

draft-20 (2026-08-31) framing delta: the Type field of both OBJECT_DATAGRAM and SUBGROUP_HEADER is now named Type Flags and described as a bitfield, with explicit invalid-value rules (#1774); Joining FETCH removed in favour of fill fetch streams driven by FILL_PARAMETERS (#1673); OBJECT_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT now starts at the last header byte instead of the first payload byte (#1844); End of Timed-Out Range added for Objects abandoned on Fill Timeout expiry (#1822); the FETCH range moved into LOCATION_FILTER (#1809); PUBLISH_DONE max Stream Count raised to 2^64 − 1 (#1831); the leftover UNSUBSCRIBE message and the VERSION_NEGOTIATION_FAILED session error removed (#1864, #1867).

Stream classes

MoQT uses three transport primitives:

• Bidirectional streams — control + per-request
• Unidirectional streams — data (Subgroup, FETCH) and, in 17, control SETUP
• Datagrams — single-Object delivery without retransmission

Bidirectional streams — biggest architectural change at draft-17

Draft	Bidirectional usage
14	Single control stream, opened by client, starts with CLIENT_SETUP. Receiving a second bidi stream MAY be a PROTOCOL_VIOLATION. All control messages (SUBSCRIBE, PUBLISH, FETCH, TRACK_STATUS, …) flow on this one stream.
16	Same control stream + SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE carved out as a second permitted use of bidi streams. Spec explicitly lists “two uses of bidirectional streams”.
17	Bidi-per-request architecture. The control stream becomes a pair of unidirectional SETUP streams (see below). Bidi streams are now used for request streams: each one starts with one of six message types — TRACK_STATUS, SUBSCRIBE, PUBLISH, FETCH, PUBLISH_NAMESPACE, SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE.
18	Same per-request model, with vocabulary changes: SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE split into SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE (0x50, namespace discovery) + SUBSCRIBE_TRACKS (0x51, track subscription) (#1542) — so a request stream now starts with one of seven message types; PUBLISH_OK removed as a distinct type, now a textual REQUEST_OK alias (#1611, with siblings REQUEST_UPDATE_OK/TRACK_STATUS_OK/SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE_OK/PUBLISH_NAMESPACE_OK); Required Request ID removed (#1615, kept only for Joining FETCH + GOAWAY); GOAWAY may now appear on a request stream for per-request migration (#1617).
19	Same seven-type model. Request ID removed from GOAWAY (#1623) — reversing #1559 one revision earlier; FIN vs. RST/STOP_SENDING semantics defined for request streams (#1698); an unexpected REQUEST_UPDATE is now a session error (#1784); MAX_REQUEST_UPDATES Setup Option + TOO_MANY_REQUEST_UPDATES added (#1613); multiple concurrent subscriptions per Track allowed (#1775).
20	Same seven-type model. UNSUBSCRIBE removed as a leftover (#1864); PUBLISH_STATE_NOTIFY added as a strictly-informative message (#1820); PUBLISH may carry Subscription Parameters (#1834); FORWARD allowed on a REQUEST_UPDATE for SUBSCRIBE_TRACKS (#1812).

The stated rationale (transport-17 §3.4) for splitting SETUP into a unidirectional pair: “Using a pair of unidirectional streams rather than a single bidirectional stream allows either peer to send data as soon as it is able. Depending on whether 0-RTT is available …” — this enables 0-RTT subscribe.

Unidirectional streams

Stream-Type code points (the first varint on a unidirectional stream):

Code point	Stream	-14	-16	-17
0x05	FETCH_HEADER	yes	yes	yes
0x10..0x1D	SUBGROUP_HEADER	yes (12 enumerated)	yes (bit-flag layout in 0x10..0x1F + 0x30..0x3F)	same as 16
0x2F00	SETUP	n/a	n/a	new — pair of uni control streams replacing the bidi control stream

A unidirectional Subgroup stream carries a single Subgroup; a unidirectional FETCH stream carries the response to a single FETCH request. See subgroups-and-objects for the per-Object wire format on each.

draft-18: a FIRST_OBJECT bit (0x40) was added to the SUBGROUP_HEADER Type, signalling that the Subgroup contains the publisher’s first Object; the type byte widens from 0b00X1XXXX to 0b0XX1XXXX (still a 1-byte varint) (#1618). This replaced the rejected “Subgroup ID == first Object ID” proposal (#1608, closed unmerged May 1).

draft-20: the SUBGROUP_HEADER’s first field is now named Type Flags and specified as a bitfield (#1774). Bit 4 MUST be 1; the low four bits plus bits 5–6 select which fields are present (PROPERTIES 0x01, SUBGROUP_ID_MODE bits 1–2 / mask 0x06, END_OF_GROUP 0x08, DEFAULT_PRIORITY 0x20, FIRST_OBJECT 0x40). Invalid → PROTOCOL_VIOLATION: SUBGROUP_ID_MODE = 0b11 (reserved), bit 4 not set, or any value ≥ 128 (i.e. requiring more than a one-byte varint).

draft-20 — the fill fetch stream: FILL_PARAMETERS on a subscription makes the publisher open a unidirectional stream that begins with FETCH_HEADER (0x05) and is delivered as a FETCH response (#1673, merged). So 0x05 now carries two things: the response to a standalone FETCH request, and a subscription’s fill range. The FETCH_HEADER disambiguates by Request ID — it carries the ID of the SUBSCRIBE/REQUEST_UPDATE that opened the fill, and a subscription can have several fills open at once. A fill failure is signalled by resetting the stream (there is no REQUEST_ERROR for a fill), and resetting or cancelling it never affects the subscription. See joining-fetch.

Datagram type space

Code-point summary:

Draft	OBJECT_DATAGRAM Type ranges
14	0x00..0x07, 0x20..0x21 (10 enumerated values)
16	Bit-flag layout over 0x00..0x0F + 0x20..0x21 + 0x24..0x25 + 0x28..0x29 + 0x2C..0x2D
17	Same as 16, with EXTENSIONS bit renamed PROPERTIES and a new PROTOCOL_VIOLATION rule (STATUS + PROPERTIES on a non-Normal Object)
20	Same bit assignments; the field is renamed Type Flags and specified as a bitfield (#1774). New PROTOCOL_VIOLATION rules: any set bit whose meaning is not specified, bit 4 (0x10) set (reserved, MUST be zero — the opposite of SUBGROUP_HEADER, where bit 4 MUST be 1), and the PROPERTIES bit set with a Properties Length of 0. Note the asymmetry on that last one: in a SUBGROUP_HEADER, PROPERTIES = 1 with Properties Length 0 is legal and is how a property-less Object in a property-carrying Subgroup is encoded.

The 16/17 datagram bit layout (0b00X0XXXX):

Bit	Name (16)	Name (17)	Effect
0x01	EXTENSIONS	PROPERTIES	Property/Extension block present
0x02	END_OF_GROUP	END_OF_GROUP	Last Object of Group
0x04	ZERO_OBJECT_ID	ZERO_OBJECT_ID	Object ID field omitted; Object ID = 0
0x08	DEFAULT_PRIORITY	DEFAULT_PRIORITY	Publisher Priority field omitted; inherited
0x20	STATUS	STATUS	Carries Object Status instead of payload

Forbidden combinations: STATUS + END_OF_GROUP (16+); STATUS + PROPERTIES with non-Normal status (17 only).

Stream Cancellation (RESET_STREAM error codes)

Subgroup-stream RESET_STREAM error registry has grown over time:

Code	Name	Added
0x0	INTERNAL_ERROR	14
0x1	CANCELLED	14
0x2	DELIVERY_TIMEOUT	14
0x3	SESSION_CLOSED	14
0x4	UNKNOWN_OBJECT_STATUS	16
0x12	MALFORMED_TRACK	16
0x5	TOO_FAR_BEHIND	17
0x9	EXCESSIVE_LOAD	17

PR #1606 (merged Apr 23 2026, draft-17 → main) generalised reset codes across all request streams: added GOING_AWAY (0x4), EXPIRED_AUTH_TOKEN (0x7), SESSION_CLOSED; aligned TOO_FAR_BEHIND / EXPIRED between stream-reset and PUBLISH_DONE registries. draft-18 then split DELIVERY_TIMEOUT into OBJECT_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT (replacing the old code) and a new SUBGROUP_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT (PR #1605, merged May 12).

draft-17 also clarified termination semantics:

• Cancelling a unidirectional stream has no effect on outstanding subscriptions.
• Cancelling a bidirectional request stream terminates the corresponding Subscription, Fetch, Track Status, Publish Namespace, or Subscribe Namespace request.

Setup negotiation and ALPN

ALPN strings advertise the MOQT version (and the optional qmux TCP fallback prefix):

• moqt-20 / qmux-00.moqt-20 — draft-20 (current published revision)
• moqt-19 / qmux-00.moqt-19 — draft-19
• moqt-18 / qmux-00.moqt-18 — draft-18 (Vienna interop target; still the automated interop-runner target)
• qmux-00.moqt-17 — QMux v0 + draft-17
• qmux-00.moqt-16 — QMux v0 + draft-16
• qmux-00 (no suffix) — implies draft-14 (legacy, technically incorrect)

From draft-15 onward the ALPN is the only version signal: there is no numeric wire version and no Supported Versions / Selected Version field in SETUP. The 0xff0000NN codes belong to draft-14 and earlier, which used a single moq-00 ALPN plus numeric negotiation inside the SETUP messages. draft-20 also removed the VERSION_NEGOTIATION_FAILED session error (#1867) as dead weight, since ALPN mismatch fails at the transport layer.

In draft-17, the SETUP message itself moved from a bidirectional control stream to a pair of unidirectional control streams (one per peer, code point 0x2F00), carrying CLIENT_SETUP and SERVER_SETUP respectively. Either peer can begin sending immediately, without waiting for the other side’s setup to land — which together with 0-RTT allows zero-round-trip SUBSCRIBE.

Framing changes that landed in draft-18 (merged)

• PR #1586 — Object/Group ID delta encoding in FETCH responses — merged Apr 27 (closes Martin’s #877 “Pack the bits”).
• PR #1542 — Split SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE into SUBSCRIBE_NAMESPACE (0x50, discovery) + SUBSCRIBE_TRACKS (0x51, subscription); added TRACK_NAMESPACE_PREFIX (0x34); removed the BOTH mode — merged May 1.
• PR #1618 — FIRST_OBJECT bit on SUBGROUP_HEADER — merged; replaced PR #1608 (Subgroup ID == first Object ID), which was closed unmerged May 1.
• PR #1611 — Remove PUBLISH_OK type, make it a REQUEST_OK alias — merged Apr 29.
• PR #1606 — Generalize stream reset codes to all request streams — merged Apr 23.
• PR #1605 — Split DELIVERY_TIMEOUT into OBJECT_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT + SUBGROUP_DELIVERY_TIMEOUT — merged May 12.
• PR #1615 — Remove Required Request ID (kept only for Joining FETCH + GOAWAY) — merged (headline 17→18 consensus).
• #1534 / PR #1617 — REDIRECT reworked: a REDIRECT error code on REQUEST_ERROR for new requests + a standalone REDIRECT for established subscriptions; GOAWAY may now ride a request stream.

Framing items since draft-18 — where they landed

• PR #1765 — Add Range Filters (Mo Zanaty): new SUBGROUP_FILTER / OBJECTID_FILTER / PRIORITY_FILTER / PROPERTY_FILTER types; renamed “Subscription Filters” → “Subscription Location Filters”. Merged — shipped in draft-19. (Slated to move into a separate draft per the contested IETF-126 consensus call.)
• PR #1779 — rename PUBLISH_BLOCKED → PUBLISH_SKIPPED. Merged — shipped in draft-19.
• PR #1673 — Replace Joining FETCH with fill fetch streams (afrind). Merged — shipped in draft-20; Joining FETCH and the “standalone” FETCH moniker are gone. See joining-fetch.
• PR #1809 — Location Filter restructured to match the other filter parameters, with the FETCH range carried in LOCATION_FILTER rather than message fields. Merged — shipped in draft-20.
• PR #1774 — OBJECT_DATAGRAM / SUBGROUP_HEADER types described as Type Flags bitfields. Merged — shipped in draft-20.
• PR 1675 — Track Switching via the SWITCH_FROM parameter (hard/soft mode). Still OPEN — absent from the draft-20 change log. See switch-abr.
• PR #1825 — replace the FORWARD parameter with Range-Filter-based pausing (Suhas). Still OPEN. Related: vasilvv’s issue #1889 asks the draft to document how the several pausing mechanisms interact.
• PR #1874 — §11 datagram/object-header editorial refactor (Suhas). Still OPEN, carried into the draft-21 restructuring.

Related

• subgroups-and-objects — Per-Object wire format on Subgroup, Datagram, and FETCH streams (delta-encoding details)
• track-properties — Properties / Extension Headers inside Objects
• publish-subscribe — Control-message flow on the control / request streams
• qmux — TCP fallback that multiplexes MoQT streams over TLS+TCP
• moq-transport — Full protocol specification