Consensus
The consensus is the shared view of the network that all Tor clients hold: which relays exist, what flags they have, and how the network is structured. Directory authorities produce it every few hours.
How the consensus is produced
Nine directory authorities vote on the state of the network. When a majority agrees, a new consensus is published. Clients download it and use it to build circuits.
Why it matters
Without a shared consensus, clients could use different relay lists — which would make attacks easier. The consensus is the trust anchor of the decentralized network.
Category: Network
This page is a short glossary definition, not a full encyclopedia article. See the Tor glossary A–Z for the rest of the set.