JSON-LD

What it is

JSON-LD (“JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data”) is a W3C Recommendation for encoding linked data in JSON while retaining a form similar to traditional JSON. It is designed so linked-data semantics can be introduced by modifying JSON documents.

Key concepts

• An @context maps JSON properties and types to concepts in an ontology using the RDF model.
• Contexts may be embedded in a document or referenced for traditional JSON through an HTTP Link header.
• Values can be coerced to specified types or tagged with a language; @id and @type support IRI-based identity and typing.
• Resolvable IRIs let clients follow links to discover additional RDF data, and RDF processors can interpret mapped properties when they understand the vocabulary.

How you’d use it

Add a context to ordinary JSON to map application fields to vocabulary IRIs, identify entities unambiguously, and expose linked-data meaning to RDF-aware processors. The page reports use in Schema.org and search-engine optimization, biomedical informatics, provenance, Activity Streams/ActivityPub, and IoT Thing Descriptions.

LLM angle

none stated

Pitfalls & lessons

none stated

Verdict

A practical bridge between familiar JSON structures and RDF-linked semantics, with documented adoption across web metadata, federated activity data, provenance, biomedicine, and IoT.

Sources consulted

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON-LD