What Does High Protocol Mean In BDSM?

This section is a draft, expect errors and issues.

Protocol levels are the expectation of how a dynamic should work between two people. There is necessarily no agreed-upon meaning of what each protocol means, so always discuss expectations with your partners as things can differ slightly. With that said the rest of this article is going to explain what you will commonly find in each protocol level in the BDSM community and what you can expect but first some important concepts!

Knowing Each Other’s Obligations

Anything that is important to life is considered an obligation. Obligations can take many forms. Simple things like paying rent, working a job, religious beliefs, college, and family are just to name a few. These obligations should be respected, and limits should be listened to regardless of the protocol. If a BDSM protocol is harmful to a person’s obligations (or likely put them at risk) consider revaluating and adapting to form a safer protocol that fits within each other’s obligations.

What Makes Up A Protocol

This is a general list, not all of these may be present in your desired protocol. Like in Low Protocol. This will give you an idea of the diversity of what can exist. Items Below are the three main categories that make up a protocol.

Interactions & Honorifics

Addressing your dominant using their preferred Honorific, this is the word for what you call your partner, like Daddy, Sir, Papa, Mommy, Mistress, Madam. Taking this seriously is an important key to following your protocol. Setting expectations of what you are meant to do in certain circumstances like greeting your Dom or others. Establishes how you should and should not interact with your dominant, yourself, and sometimes other individuals.

Actions & Self

Collars express ownership over you. Being collared carries a large personal significance with many submissives/dominants alike. Wearing ones implies you are currently owned. Collars are not be confused with chokers, though some may use chokers if they prefer a subtle approach.

Apparel like rings, bracelets, and necklaces may be required on you as a substitute for a collar if discretion is important.
Different physical requests may be asked of you like being shaved, having your hair at a certain length, or the use of contacts instead of glasses.
Request can be placed upon you to perform actions, such as getting coffee to performing sexual on your Dominant at their discretion.
You may be told to abstain from certain enjoyments in your life, like playing games.
You may be told to follow specific times, goals, and obligations. Like going to bed at a certain time or completing personal goals.
You may be asked to perform sexual acts around or on others to degrade yourself.

Behavior/Mind

Basic actions like going to the bathroom, sitting down, or eating may require permission from your dominant.
Your tone, inflection, voice (or orgasm) volume level, and words may be set to what your dominant wants.
Your personal desires, ambitions, and wants may be disregarded in favor of the dominant.
Your focus, what is on your mind, what you look at may be controlled.

What Is Low Protocol?

Sometimes considered vanilla, or informal is the most open type of protocol with the most freedom and the least expectations/rules. It is a great starting point for beginners to learn in-outs of BDSM dynamics. Honorifics are used unless otherwise stated. Low Protocol is the most similar to vanilla relationship and the “True BDSM” may only stay in the bedroom. There may be a simple task a dominant gives you, they should be quite nominal and generally do not involve BDSM. Such as asking for coffee. There is still a present power dynamic but it’s subtle.

What Is Medium Protocol?

This is a more common protocol where there is a greater sense of commitment now and the power dynamics less subtle. For some, this may be your status quo. You are to follow the rules given by a dominant within reason. This is when you may wear a collar for fun and take it off when its

What Is High Protocol?

Soon.