{"id":"linked-art/api/digital-objects","relativePath":"linked-art/api/digital-objects.md","title":"Linked Art API: Digital Objects","markdown":"# Linked Art API: Digital Objects\n\n**Last refreshed:** 2026-07-06\n\nSource: [Digital Objects endpoint](https://linked.art/api/1.0/endpoint/digital_object/), part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under [CC BY 4.0](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This is a project summary; the upstream page is authoritative.\n\n## Purpose\n\nThe Digital Object endpoint describes digital content such as images, documents, media files, IIIF manifests, and other electronic resources. The description can exist even when the actual file is not publicly retrievable; retrievable file or service locations are modeled with `access_point` or `digitally_available_via`.\n\n## Required Shape\n\nA Digital Object record dereferences to one JSON-LD object:\n\n- `@context`: Linked Art context URI, or an array ending with that URI for extensions.\n- `id`: dereferenceable HTTP(S) URI for the digital object's description.\n- `type`: `DigitalObject`.\n\n## Recommended Fields\n\n- `_label`: developer-facing label.\n- `classified_as`: classifications following the `Type` structure.\n- `identified_by`: `Name` and/or `Identifier` structures.\n\n## Optional Fields\n\n- `referred_to_by`: statements about the digital object.\n- `equivalent`: external identities.\n- `member_of`: sets that include the digital object.\n- `subject_of`: textual works focused on it.\n- `representation`: visual works representing it.\n- `attributed_by`: relationship assignment evidence.\n- `dimension`: dimensions, including file/image dimensions or byte counts.\n- `part_of`: containing digital object, such as a manifest or package.\n- `format`: media type, for example `image/jpeg`.\n- `conforms_to`: external specification references typed as `InformationObject`.\n- `digitally_carries`: textual work carried by the digital object.\n- `digitally_shows`: visual work shown by the digital object.\n- `digitally_available_via`: digital service structures.\n- `access_point`: URI(s) where the file or representation can be retrieved.\n- `created_by`: `Creation` event for the digital object.\n- `used_for`: publication activity.\n\n## Digital Service Shape\n\n`DigitalService` records or embedded structures describe an interactable service:\n\n- `type`: `DigitalService`.\n- `access_point`: service URI.\n- `conforms_to`: external specification references typed as `InformationObject`.\n- Common descriptive fields such as `_label`, `classified_as`, `identified_by`, and `referred_to_by`.\n\n## Common Incoming Relationships\n\n- `digitally_carried_by` from Textual Work records.\n- `digitally_shown_by` from Visual Work records.\n\n## Meta Museum Notes\n\nMeta Museum currently preserves digital carriers and digital service references in record detail responses and provider fixtures. Existing coverage exercises `DigitalObject`, `access_point`, `part_of`, `digitally_carried_by`, `digitally_shows`, `digitally_available_via`, `DigitalService`, `conforms_to`, image dimensions, and IIIF-related metadata. This page should be used as the canonical local checklist for future `/api/digital-objects/{id}` route work if we promote digital objects to a first-class role route.\n\n## Test Ideas\n\n- A `DigitalObject` fixture with `format`, pixel dimensions, `access_point`, `part_of`, `digitally_shows`, and `digitally_available_via` survives dereference.\n- `conforms_to` references are typed as `InformationObject`, not `Type`.\n- Textual content uses `digitally_carried_by` / `digitally_carries`; visual content uses `digitally_shown_by` / `digitally_shows`; neither is collapsed into a plain image URL.\n","sections":[{"level":2,"heading":"Purpose","anchor":"purpose"},{"level":2,"heading":"Required Shape","anchor":"required-shape"},{"level":2,"heading":"Recommended Fields","anchor":"recommended-fields"},{"level":2,"heading":"Optional Fields","anchor":"optional-fields"},{"level":2,"heading":"Digital Service Shape","anchor":"digital-service-shape"},{"level":2,"heading":"Common Incoming Relationships","anchor":"common-incoming-relationships"},{"level":2,"heading":"Meta Museum Notes","anchor":"meta-museum-notes"},{"level":2,"heading":"Test Ideas","anchor":"test-ideas"}],"html":"

Linked Art API: Digital Objects

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Last refreshed: 2026-07-06

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Source: Digital Objects endpoint, part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under CC BY 4.0. This is a project summary; the upstream page is authoritative.

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Purpose

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The Digital Object endpoint describes digital content such as images, documents, media files, IIIF manifests, and other electronic resources. The description can exist even when the actual file is not publicly retrievable; retrievable file or service locations are modeled with `access_point` or `digitally_available_via`.

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Required Shape

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A Digital Object record dereferences to one JSON-LD object:

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Recommended Fields

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Optional Fields

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Digital Service Shape

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`DigitalService` records or embedded structures describe an interactable service:

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Common Incoming Relationships

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Meta Museum Notes

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Meta Museum currently preserves digital carriers and digital service references in record detail responses and provider fixtures. Existing coverage exercises `DigitalObject`, `access_point`, `part_of`, `digitally_carried_by`, `digitally_shows`, `digitally_available_via`, `DigitalService`, `conforms_to`, image dimensions, and IIIF-related metadata. This page should be used as the canonical local checklist for future `/api/digital-objects/{id}` route work if we promote digital objects to a first-class role route.

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Test Ideas

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