According to 4.2b of GB/T 1.1-2020 "Directives for Standardization - Part 1: Structure and Drafting Rules for Standardization Documents", a specification standard refers to "a standard that stipulates the requirements that products, processes or services need to meet and describes the verification methods used to determine whether these requirements are met". Most standardization objects - whether they are products, processes or services - can be the subjects of specification standards.

 The function of a specification standard is to "stipulate" requirements. Its core technical elements are to stipulate the "requirements" that the standardization object (or a certain specific aspect of it) needs to meet, and at the same time describe the "verification methods" used to determine whether the requirements are met. In other words, a specification standard should have a chapter on "requirements" composed of requirement-type clauses. When declaring compliance with the standard, the requirements stipulated in the "requirements" chapter need to be strictly observed and verifiable. Therefore, the specification should also indicate the verification methods for determining compliance with the requirements.

For the overall principles and requirements for drafting specification standards, the structure of specification standards, and the writing and expression rules for essential elements such as the standard title, scope, requirements, and verification methods, please refer to GB/T 20001.5-2017 "Rules for Preparing Standards - Part 5: Specification Standards".