{"id":"linked-art/api/schema-digital-object","relativePath":"linked-art/api/schema-digital-object.md","title":"Linked Art API Schema: Digital Object","markdown":"# Linked Art API Schema: Digital Object\n\n**Last refreshed:** 2026-07-06\n\nSource: [Digital Object schema docs](https://linked.art/api/1.0/schema_docs/digital/) and [digital.json](https://linked.art/api/1.0/schema/digital.json), 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 schema is authoritative.\n\n## Purpose\n\nThe Digital Object schema describes `dig:D1_Digital_Object`: a digital resource, such as a web page, image, manifest, or other retrievable digital carrier. In Linked Art API terms this is the endpoint shape for `DigitalObject` records and closely related embedded digital service structures.\n\nRelated upstream references:\n\n- [Digital Object API endpoint](https://linked.art/api/1.0/endpoint/digital_object/)\n- [Digital Object model documentation](https://linked.art/model/digital/)\n\n## Top-Level Constraints\n\n- Schema type: object.\n- CRM/digital class: `dig:D1_Digital_Object`.\n- Additional top-level properties are not allowed.\n- `@context`: required.\n- `id`: required URI string for the entity.\n- `type`: required class string. Practical Linked Art classes include `DigitalObject` and `DigitalService`.\n- `_label`: required developer-facing human-readable label.\n\n## Permitted Top-Level Fields\n\n- `identified_by`: array of `Name` or `Identifier` structures.\n- `classified_as`: array of `Type` structures that classify this digital object.\n- `referred_to_by`: array of embedded statements or textual references about the digital object.\n- `equivalent`: array of compact references to equivalent digital identities.\n- `representation`: array of embedded `VisualItem` structures linked through digital objects.\n- `member_of`: array of `Set` references.\n- `subject_of`: array of embedded `LinguisticObject` web pages or digital objects focused on this entity.\n- `attributed_by`: array of `AttributeAssignment` structures relating another entity to this one.\n- `dimension`: array of `Dimension` structures.\n- `part_of`: compact reference to another `DigitalObject` of which this one is part.\n- `format`: media type string, such as `image/jpeg` or `text/html`.\n- `conforms_to`: array of `InformationObject` references for standards or specifications embodied by the resource.\n- `access_point`: array of URLs from which the digital object can be retrieved.\n- `digitally_available_via`: array of `DigitalService` structures used to retrieve or act on the digital object.\n- `digitally_carries`: array of `LinguisticObject` references carried by the digital object.\n- `digitally_shows`: array of `VisualItem` references shown by the digital object.\n- `used_for`: array of `Activity` structures for activities that used the digital object.\n- `created_by`: creation activity for the intellectual or conceptual entity.\n\n## Embedded Structures Highlighted By The Schema\n\n`identified_by` items can be:\n\n- `Name` structures, with required `type` and `content`, plus optional `_label`, nested `identified_by`, `referred_to_by`, `classified_as`, `language`, and `part`.\n- `Identifier` structures, following the shared identifier pattern.\n\n`referred_to_by` items are embedded `LinguisticObject` statements:\n\n- `type`: required.\n- `content`: required.\n- `_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, `language`, and `format` are allowed.\n\n`representation` items are embedded `VisualItem` structures:\n\n- `type`: required.\n- `_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, and `digitally_shown_by` are allowed.\n- Nested `digitally_shown_by` digital objects can include `access_point`, `format`, and `conforms_to`.\n\n`subject_of` items are embedded `LinguisticObject` structures:\n\n- `type`: required.\n- `_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, `language`, and `digitally_carried_by` are allowed.\n\n`part_of` references another digital object:\n\n- `id`: required.\n- `type`: required.\n- `_label`, `equivalent`, `format`, `conforms_to`, and `access_point` are allowed.\n\n`digitally_available_via` items are `DigitalService` structures:\n\n- `type`\n- `_label`\n- `identified_by`\n- `classified_as`\n- `referred_to_by`\n- `access_point`\n- `conforms_to`\n\n`digitally_carries` and `digitally_shows` use compact content references:\n\n- `digitally_carries` references `LinguisticObject` records.\n- `digitally_shows` references `VisualItem` records.\n- Each reference carries required `id` and `type`, plus optional `_label` and `equivalent`.\n\n## Activity Shapes\n\n`used_for` records activities that used the digital object. `created_by` describes creation of the digital object or conceptual digital resource. Both support normal activity fields:\n\n- `type`\n- `_label`\n- `identified_by`\n- `classified_as`\n- `referred_to_by`\n- `took_place_at`\n- `timespan`\n- `caused_by`\n- `carried_out_by`\n- `used_specific_object`\n- `influenced_by`\n- `technique`\n- `during`\n- `after`\n- `before`\n- `part_of`\n\n`created_by.part_of` can reference an `Event` or `Activity` with required `id` and `type`, plus optional `_label` and `equivalent`.\n\n## Meta Museum Notes\n\nMeta Museum already preserves digital-object and digital-service patterns in endpoint notes and shared digital-link notes: `access_point`, `format`, `conforms_to`, `digitally_carries`, `digitally_shows`, `digitally_carried_by`, `digitally_shown_by`, and IIIF-style service references stay structured rather than being flattened into image URLs.\n\nThis expanded schema adds the strict endpoint validation target for digital carriers: required identity fields, no unexpected top-level properties, explicit service/access relationships, media type handling, content-carrier boundaries, and activity evidence for creation or use.\n\n## Test Ideas\n\n- Validate representative `DigitalObject` and `DigitalService` records against `digital.json`.\n- Assert `@context`, `id`, `type`, and `_label` are present.\n- Assert unknown top-level properties fail schema validation.\n- Preserve `access_point`, `format`, and `conforms_to` on digital objects and nested digital services.\n- Preserve `digitally_carries` and `digitally_shows` as references rather than flattening them into display strings.\n- Preserve `used_for` and `created_by` activity evidence including `timespan`, `carried_out_by`, `used_specific_object`, and `technique`.\n","sections":[{"level":2,"heading":"Purpose","anchor":"purpose"},{"level":2,"heading":"Top-Level Constraints","anchor":"top-level-constraints"},{"level":2,"heading":"Permitted Top-Level Fields","anchor":"permitted-top-level-fields"},{"level":2,"heading":"Embedded Structures Highlighted By The Schema","anchor":"embedded-structures-highlighted-by-the-schema"},{"level":2,"heading":"Activity Shapes","anchor":"activity-shapes"},{"level":2,"heading":"Meta Museum Notes","anchor":"meta-museum-notes"},{"level":2,"heading":"Test Ideas","anchor":"test-ideas"}],"html":"<h1 id=\"linked-art-api-schema-digital-object\">Linked Art API Schema: Digital Object</h1>\n<p><strong>Last refreshed:</strong> 2026-07-06</p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https://linked.art/api/1.0/schema_docs/digital/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">Digital Object schema docs</a> and <a href=\"https://linked.art/api/1.0/schema/digital.json\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">digital.json</a>, part of Linked Art API 1.0, published under <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">CC BY 4.0</a>. This is a project summary; the upstream schema is authoritative.</p>\n<h2 id=\"purpose\">Purpose</h2>\n<p>The Digital Object schema describes `dig:D1_Digital_Object`: a digital resource, such as a web page, image, manifest, or other retrievable digital carrier. In Linked Art API terms this is the endpoint shape for `DigitalObject` records and closely related embedded digital service structures.</p>\n<p>Related upstream references:</p>\n<ul><li><a href=\"https://linked.art/api/1.0/endpoint/digital_object/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">Digital Object API endpoint</a></li><li><a href=\"https://linked.art/model/digital/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" class=\"doc-link\">Digital Object model documentation</a></li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"top-level-constraints\">Top-Level Constraints</h2>\n<ul><li>Schema type: object.</li><li>CRM/digital class: `dig:D1_Digital_Object`.</li><li>Additional top-level properties are not allowed.</li><li>`@context`: required.</li><li>`id`: required URI string for the entity.</li><li>`type`: required class string. Practical Linked Art classes include `DigitalObject` and `DigitalService`.</li><li>`_label`: required developer-facing human-readable label.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"permitted-top-level-fields\">Permitted Top-Level Fields</h2>\n<ul><li>`identified_by`: array of `Name` or `Identifier` structures.</li><li>`classified_as`: array of `Type` structures that classify this digital object.</li><li>`referred_to_by`: array of embedded statements or textual references about the digital object.</li><li>`equivalent`: array of compact references to equivalent digital identities.</li><li>`representation`: array of embedded `VisualItem` structures linked through digital objects.</li><li>`member_of`: array of `Set` references.</li><li>`subject_of`: array of embedded `LinguisticObject` web pages or digital objects focused on this entity.</li><li>`attributed_by`: array of `AttributeAssignment` structures relating another entity to this one.</li><li>`dimension`: array of `Dimension` structures.</li><li>`part_of`: compact reference to another `DigitalObject` of which this one is part.</li><li>`format`: media type string, such as `image/jpeg` or `text/html`.</li><li>`conforms_to`: array of `InformationObject` references for standards or specifications embodied by the resource.</li><li>`access_point`: array of URLs from which the digital object can be retrieved.</li><li>`digitally_available_via`: array of `DigitalService` structures used to retrieve or act on the digital object.</li><li>`digitally_carries`: array of `LinguisticObject` references carried by the digital object.</li><li>`digitally_shows`: array of `VisualItem` references shown by the digital object.</li><li>`used_for`: array of `Activity` structures for activities that used the digital object.</li><li>`created_by`: creation activity for the intellectual or conceptual entity.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"embedded-structures-highlighted-by-the-schema\">Embedded Structures Highlighted By The Schema</h2>\n<p>`identified_by` items can be:</p>\n<ul><li>`Name` structures, with required `type` and `content`, plus optional `_label`, nested `identified_by`, `referred_to_by`, `classified_as`, `language`, and `part`.</li><li>`Identifier` structures, following the shared identifier pattern.</li></ul>\n<p>`referred_to_by` items are embedded `LinguisticObject` statements:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`: required.</li><li>`content`: required.</li><li>`_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, `language`, and `format` are allowed.</li></ul>\n<p>`representation` items are embedded `VisualItem` structures:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`: required.</li><li>`_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, and `digitally_shown_by` are allowed.</li><li>Nested `digitally_shown_by` digital objects can include `access_point`, `format`, and `conforms_to`.</li></ul>\n<p>`subject_of` items are embedded `LinguisticObject` structures:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`: required.</li><li>`_label`, `identified_by`, `classified_as`, `referred_to_by`, `language`, and `digitally_carried_by` are allowed.</li></ul>\n<p>`part_of` references another digital object:</p>\n<ul><li>`id`: required.</li><li>`type`: required.</li><li>`_label`, `equivalent`, `format`, `conforms_to`, and `access_point` are allowed.</li></ul>\n<p>`digitally_available_via` items are `DigitalService` structures:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`</li><li>`_label`</li><li>`identified_by`</li><li>`classified_as`</li><li>`referred_to_by`</li><li>`access_point`</li><li>`conforms_to`</li></ul>\n<p>`digitally_carries` and `digitally_shows` use compact content references:</p>\n<ul><li>`digitally_carries` references `LinguisticObject` records.</li><li>`digitally_shows` references `VisualItem` records.</li><li>Each reference carries required `id` and `type`, plus optional `_label` and `equivalent`.</li></ul>\n<h2 id=\"activity-shapes\">Activity Shapes</h2>\n<p>`used_for` records activities that used the digital object. `created_by` describes creation of the digital object or conceptual digital resource. Both support normal activity fields:</p>\n<ul><li>`type`</li><li>`_label`</li><li>`identified_by`</li><li>`classified_as`</li><li>`referred_to_by`</li><li>`took_place_at`</li><li>`timespan`</li><li>`caused_by`</li><li>`carried_out_by`</li><li>`used_specific_object`</li><li>`influenced_by`</li><li>`technique`</li><li>`during`</li><li>`after`</li><li>`before`</li><li>`part_of`</li></ul>\n<p>`created_by.part_of` can reference an `Event` or `Activity` with required `id` and `type`, plus optional `_label` and `equivalent`.</p>\n<h2 id=\"meta-museum-notes\">Meta Museum Notes</h2>\n<p>Meta Museum already preserves digital-object and digital-service patterns in endpoint notes and shared digital-link notes: `access_point`, `format`, `conforms_to`, `digitally_carries`, `digitally_shows`, `digitally_carried_by`, `digitally_shown_by`, and IIIF-style service references stay structured rather than being flattened into image URLs.</p>\n<p>This expanded schema adds the strict endpoint validation target for digital carriers: required identity fields, no unexpected top-level properties, explicit service/access relationships, media type handling, content-carrier boundaries, and activity evidence for creation or use.</p>\n<h2 id=\"test-ideas\">Test Ideas</h2>\n<ul><li>Validate representative `DigitalObject` and `DigitalService` records against `digital.json`.</li><li>Assert `@context`, `id`, `type`, and `_label` are present.</li><li>Assert unknown top-level properties fail schema validation.</li><li>Preserve `access_point`, `format`, and `conforms_to` on digital objects and nested digital services.</li><li>Preserve `digitally_carries` and `digitally_shows` as references rather than flattening them into display strings.</li><li>Preserve `used_for` and `created_by` activity evidence including `timespan`, `carried_out_by`, `used_specific_object`, and `technique`.</li></ul>","updatedAt":"2026-07-06T00:00:00.000Z","checksum":"750a7f2de6a722230ea73ecaf4afa9ce7d45c462c2758e5fdba0724b8f5eae6c","checksumPrefix":"750a7f2de6a7","anchorCount":7,"lineCount":130,"rawUrl":"/api/docs/content?path=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fschema-digital-object.md","htmlUrl":"/docs?doc=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fschema-digital-object.md","apiUrl":"/api/docs/content?path=linked-art%2Fapi%2Fschema-digital-object.md"}