Advanced Direct Connect (ADC) is a simple protocol for a client/server-oriented messaging and file sharing system. The ADC Project aims to provide documentation for the ADC community and its developers.

ADC is the next generation Direct Connect protocol. It aims to provide a well specified protocol that enables globally unique identification of users, encrypted password sending, hashes for communication and file retrieval, full UTF-8 support and identifiable C-C connections.

ADC is split up into two sections; the base protocol and its extensions. The base protocol specifies and requires login procedures, error code messaging, information notifications and basic file sharing. Extensions to the protocol can be more quickly modified and used, without interfering with the base protocol. Extensions include hash algorithms, regular expressions, user commands and secure (TLS) connections.