diff --git a/block-layer/codecs/dag-cbor.md b/block-layer/codecs/dag-cbor.md
index 146da3b9..a52b207c 100644
--- a/block-layer/codecs/dag-cbor.md
+++ b/block-layer/codecs/dag-cbor.md
@@ -4,38 +4,45 @@
 
 DagCBOR supports the full [IPLD Data Model].
 
-CBOR already natively supports all [IPLD Data Model Kinds].
+DagCBOR uses the [Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR)] data format, which natively supports all [IPLD Data Model Kinds].
 
 ## Format
 
-The CBOR IPLD format is called DagCBOR to disambiguate it from regular CBOR.
-Most CBOR objects are valid DagCBOR. The only hard restriction is that any field
-with the tag 42 must be a valid CID.
+The CBOR IPLD format is called DagCBOR to disambiguate it from regular CBOR. Most CBOR objects are valid DagCBOR. The primary differences are:
+  * tag `42` interpreted as CIDs
+  * maps may only be keyed by strings
+  * additional strictness requirements about valid data encoding forms
 
-## Link Format
+## Links
 
-As with all IPLD formats, DagCBOR must be able to encode [Links].
-In DagCBOR, links are [CIDs] encoded using the raw-binary identity [Multibase]. That Multibase prefix (`0x00`) *must not* be omitted. They are stored as byte-string type (major type 2), with the tag 42.
+As with all IPLD formats, DagCBOR must be able to encode [Links]. In DagCBOR, links are the binary form of a [CID] encoded using the raw-binary identity [Multibase]. That is, the Multibase identity prefix (`0x00`) is prepended to the binary form of a CID and this new byte array is encoded into CBOR as a byte-string (major type 2), with the tag `42`.
 
-(the inclusion of the Multibase exists for historical reasons)
+The inclusion of the Multibase prefix exists for historical reasons and the identity prefix *must not* be omitted.
 
-## Map Key Restriction
+## Map Keys
 
-In DagCBOR, map keys must be strings.
+In DagCBOR, map keys must be strings, as defined by the [IPLD Data Model].
 
-## Canonical DagCBOR
+## Strictness
 
-Canonical DagCBOR must:
+DagCBOR requires that there is a single way of encoding any given object, and that encoded forms contain no superfluous data that may be ignored or lost in a round-trip decode/encode.
 
-1. Use no tags other than the CID tag (42). Other tags may be lost in
-   conversion.
-2. Use the [canonical CBOR](https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7049#section-3.9)
-   encoding.
+Therefore canonical DagCBOR must:
+
+1. Use no tags other than the CID tag (`42`). A valid DagCBOR encoder must not encode using any additional tags and a valid DagCBOR decoder must reject objects containing additional tags as invalid.
+2. Use the canonical CBOR encoding defined by the the suggestions in [section 3.9 of the CBOR specification]. A valid DagCBOR decoder should reject objects not following these restrictions as invalid. Specifically:
+   * Integers must be as small as possible.
+   * The expression of lengths in major types 2 through 5 must be as short as possible.
+   * The keys in every map must be sorted lowest value to highest. Sorting is performed on the bytes of the representation of the keys.
+     - If two keys have different lengths, the shorter one sorts earlier;
+     - If two keys have the same length, the one with the lower value in (byte-wise) lexical order sorts earlier.
+   * Indefinite-length items must be made into definite-length items.
 
 
 [IPLD Data Model]: ../../data-model-layer/data-model.md
+[Concise Binary Object Representation (CBOR)]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7049
 [IPLD Data Model Kinds]: ../../data-model-layer/data-model.md#kinds
 [Links]: ../../data-model-layer/data-model.md#link-kind
 [CIDs]: ../CID.md
 [Multibase]: https://github.com/multiformats/multibase
-[canonical CBOR]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7049#section-3.9
+[section 3.9 of the CBOR specification]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7049#section-3.9
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