DCAT-US 3.0: Distribution

Information about a distribution, including access methods, formats, licenses, restrictions, and quality details.

A specific representation of a dataset, such as a file, feed, or API response

• Type: object
• Additional properties: Any type allowed

Example:

{
    "@type": "Distribution",
    "title": "Climate Data CSV",
    "description": "Daily climate observations in CSV format.",
    "accessURL": "https://example.gov/data/climate",
    "downloadURL": "https://example.gov/downloads/climate-2024.csv",
    "mediaType": "text/csv",
    "format": "CSV",
    "byteSize": "52428800",
    "license": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/",
    "modified": "2024-06-01",
    "rights": [
        "No rights reserved. This data is in the public domain."
    ],
    "describedBy": {
        "@type": "Standard",
        "title": "CSV Data Dictionary",
        "accessURL": "https://example.gov/data/climate/dictionary"
    },
    "accessRestriction": null,
    "cuiRestriction": null,
    "useRestriction": null
}

Distribution > accessRestriction #

Requirement: Recommended

List of access restrictions related to the distribution

• Type: null or array of AccessRestriction classes

Each item of this array must be:

• AccessRestriction: Rules or indicators that describe who can access a resource

Distribution > accessURL #

Requirement: Recommended

URL for indirect access to the Distribution (for example, a landing page, API docs, or request form), not a direct file download

• Type: null or string

Examples:

"https://example.gov/data/climate"

"https://example.gov/data/climate/access"

Distribution > cuiRestriction #

Requirement: Recommended

Controlled Unclassified Information restriction related to the distribution

• Type: null or CUIRestriction

Distribution > describedBy #

Title: data dictionary

Requirement: Recommended

A distribution containing the Data Dictionary for this distribution

• Type: null or Distribution

Distribution > description #

Requirement: Recommended

Plain-language summary of the distribution

• Type: null or string

Examples:

"Daily climate observations in CSV format."

"A CSV file containing historical climate data including daily temperature and precipitation readings."

Distribution > format #

Requirement: Recommended

A human-readable description of the file format of the Distribution that provides useful information that might not be apparent from mediaType

• Type: null or string

Example:

"CSV"

Distribution > license #

Requirement: Recommended

License that governs how the distribution can be used or reused

• Type: null or string

Example:

"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"

Distribution > modified #

Title: last modified

Requirement: Recommended

The most recent date on which the Distribution was changed or modified

• Type: null or object

Examples:

"2024-06-01"

"2024-01-15"

"2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"

"2024"

"2024-01"

Distribution > rights #

Requirement: Recommended

Rights statements not already covered by license or accessRights, such as copyright or policy restrictions

• Type: null or array of string

Examples:

[
    "No rights reserved. This data is in the public domain."
]

[
    "This data is in the public domain and may be used without restriction."
]

Each item of this array must be:

• rights items: Full text of a statement of rights

Array Item #

Full text of a statement of rights

• Type: string

Distribution > title #

Requirement: Recommended

Human-readable title of the distribution

• Type: null or string

Example:

"Climate Data CSV"

Distribution > useRestriction #

Requirement: Recommended

Use restriction related to the distribution

• Type: null or array of UseRestriction classes

Each item of this array must be:

• UseRestriction: Rules or legal limits on how a resource may be used

Distribution > @id #

Requirement: Optional

• Type: string
• Format: iri

Example:

"https://example.gov/distributions/climate-data-csv-001"

Distribution > @type #

Requirement: Optional

• Type: string
• Default: "Distribution"

Distribution > accessRights #

Requirement: Optional

Information about whether the distribution is publicly accessible, restricted, or not public

• Type: null or string

Example:

"Public access without restrictions"

Distribution > accessService #

Requirement: Optional

A data service that gives access to the distribution of the dataset

• Type: null or array of DataService classes

Each item of this array must be:

• DataService: A service that provides access to data or data processing functions

Distribution > availability #

Requirement: Optional

An indication how long it is planned to keep the Distribution of the Dataset available

• Type: null or Concept

Distribution > byteSize #

Requirement: Optional

The size of a Distribution in bytes

• Type: null or string

Example:

"52428800"

Distribution > characterEncoding #

Requirement: Optional

List of character encodings used in the Distribution, using IANA character set names (for example, UTF-8)

• Type: null or array of string

Example:

[
    "UTF-8"
]

Distribution > checksum #

Requirement: Optional

Checksum used to verify that the downloadable file content has not changed

• Type: null or Checksum

Distribution > compressFormat #

Title: compression format

Requirement: Optional

The format of the file in which the data is contained in a compressed form, e.g. to reduce the size of the downloadable file

• Type: null or string

Example:

"application/gzip"

Distribution > conformsTo #

Title: linked schemas

Requirement: Optional

List of standards, schemas, or reference systems the Distribution follows (prefer stable URIs when available)

• Type: null or array of Standard classes

Each item of this array must be:

• Standard: A standard or specification that another resource conforms to

Distribution > downloadURL #

Requirement: Optional

Direct URL to a downloadable file for the Distribution; use accessURL for indirect access

• Type: null or string

Example:

"https://example.gov/data/climate/climate-data-2023.csv"

Distribution > hasQualityMeasurement #

Title: quality measurement

Requirement: Optional

Quality measurements for the distribution (for example, completeness, accuracy, or timeliness)

• Type: null or array of QualityMeasurement classes

Each item of this array must be:

• QualityMeasurement: A measurement of a resource against a specific quality metric

Distribution > identifier #

Requirement: Optional

The unique identifier for the Distribution (e.g. DOI, ISBN)

• Type: null or Identifier

Distribution > image #

Requirement: Optional

A link to a thumbnail picture illustrating the content of the distribution

• Type: null or string

Distribution > issued #

Title: release date

Requirement: Optional

The date of formal issuance (e.g., publication) of the Distribution

• Type: null or object

Examples:

"2023-06-01"

"2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"

"2024"

"2024-01"

Distribution > language #

Requirement: Optional

ISO 639-1 language code values used in the distribution metadata text, such as en or es, full list can be seen at https://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/iso639-1.html

• Type: combining
• Additional properties: Any type allowed

Examples:

"en"

[
    "en",
    "es"
]

Any of:

• Null allowed when not required
• Language code
• List of languages

Distribution > language > anyOf > Null allowed when not required #

• Type: null

Distribution > language > anyOf > Language code #

• Type: string

Restrictions:

• Max length: 2

Distribution > language > anyOf > List of languages #

• Type: array of string

Each item of this array must be:

• Language code: -

Language code #

• Type: string

Restrictions:

• Max length: 2

Distribution > mediaType #

Requirement: Optional

MIME type of the Distribution (for example, text/csv or application/json), from the IANA media types registry: https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/media-types.xhtml

• Type: null or string

Example:

"text/csv"

Distribution > otherIdentifier #

Requirement: Optional

A list of identifiers for the Distribution besides the main identifier, e.g. the URI or other unique identifiers in the context of the Catalog

• Type: null or array of Identifier classes

Each item of this array must be:

• Identifier: A unique identifier and optionally it’s scheme and other relevant information

Distribution > packageFormat #

Title: packaging format

Requirement: Optional

The format of the file in which one or more data files are grouped together, e.g. to enable a set of related files to be downloaded together

• Type: null or string

Example:

"application/zip"

Distribution > page #

Title: documentation

Requirement: Optional

A page or document about this Distribution

• Type: null or array of Document classes

Each item of this array must be:

• Document: A publication or other document related to a resource

Distribution > representationTechnique #

Requirement: Optional

Method or schema used to structure the distribution content (for example, CSV convention, XML schema, or spatial representation type)

• Type: null or Concept

Distribution > spatialResolutionInMeters #

Title: Spatial resolution (meters)

Requirement: Optional

The minimum spatial separation resolvable in a dataset distribution, measured in meters

• Type: null or string

Example:

"1000"

Distribution > status #

Title: lifecycle status

Requirement: Optional

The status of the distribution in the context of maturity lifecycle

• Type: null or Concept

Distribution > temporalResolution #

Title: termporal resolution

Requirement: Optional

The minimum time period resolvable in the dataset distribution

• Type: null or string

Example:

"P1D"

See Also: (related supporting classes)