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Attribution Format

attributedTo is defined here in the ActivityStreams Vocabulary. It allows us to tell, who authored / owns the object.

This test explores what is allowed in the field.

Support Table Preview

attributedTo Object Activity 
“http://pasture-one-actor/actor”
 Object Activity 
[
  “http://pasture-one-actor/actor”
]
 Object 🚨 Activity 
[
  “http://pasture-one-actor/actor”,
  “http://pasture-one-actor/second”
]
 Object 🚨 Activity 
{
  “type”: “Person”,
  “id”: “http://pasture-one-actor/actor”
}
 Object 🚨 Activity 
[
  {
    “type”: “Person”,
    “id”: “http://pasture-one-actor/actor”
  }
]
 Object 🚨 Activity

Objects

Object 1

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "content": "single element",
  "id": "http://actor.example/object/vDq5M-p_WYE",
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Note"
}

Object 2

❌❌❌ does not obey schema ❌❌❌

['http://pasture-one-actor/actor'] is not of type 'string'

Failed validating 'type' in schema['properties']['attributedTo']:
    {'description': 'id of the actor that authored this object',
     'examples': ['https://actor.example/'],
     'type': 'string'}

On instance['attributedTo']:
    ['http://pasture-one-actor/actor']

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "attributedTo": [
    "http://pasture-one-actor/actor"
  ],
  "content": "single element as list",
  "id": "http://actor.example/object/d_u3rtbHJsY",
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Note"
}

Object 3

❌❌❌ does not obey schema ❌❌❌

['http://pasture-one-actor/actor', 'http://pasture-one-actor/second'] is not of type 'string'

Failed validating 'type' in schema['properties']['attributedTo']:
    {'description': 'id of the actor that authored this object',
     'examples': ['https://actor.example/'],
     'type': 'string'}

On instance['attributedTo']:
    ['http://pasture-one-actor/actor', 'http://pasture-one-actor/second']

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "attributedTo": [
    "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "http://pasture-one-actor/second"
  ],
  "content": "two elements as list",
  "id": "http://actor.example/object/QAN345ffnqo",
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Note"
}

Object 4

❌❌❌ does not obey schema ❌❌❌

{'type': 'Person', 'id': 'http://pasture-one-actor/actor'} is not of type 'string'

Failed validating 'type' in schema['properties']['attributedTo']:
    {'description': 'id of the actor that authored this object',
     'examples': ['https://actor.example/'],
     'type': 'string'}

On instance['attributedTo']:
    {'type': 'Person', 'id': 'http://pasture-one-actor/actor'}

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "attributedTo": {
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "type": "Person"
  },
  "content": "a dictionary",
  "id": "http://actor.example/object/hd16dzKIbpo",
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Note"
}

Object 5

❌❌❌ does not obey schema ❌❌❌

[{'type': 'Person', 'id': 'http://pasture-one-actor/actor'}] is not of type 'string'

Failed validating 'type' in schema['properties']['attributedTo']:
    {'description': 'id of the actor that authored this object',
     'examples': ['https://actor.example/'],
     'type': 'string'}

On instance['attributedTo']:
    [{'type': 'Person', 'id': 'http://pasture-one-actor/actor'}]

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "attributedTo": [
    {
      "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
      "type": "Person"
    }
  ],
  "content": "a dictionary",
  "id": "http://actor.example/object/yJRGqeHI-9U",
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Note"
}

Activities

Activity 1

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "actor": "http://actor.example",
  "id": "http://actor.example/activity/Kcbkn1xobuo",
  "object": {
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "content": "single element",
    "id": "http://actor.example/object/bu5dnRaHGeI",
    "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://remote.example/"
    ],
    "type": "Note"
  },
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "http://remote.example/",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Create"
}

Activity 2

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "actor": "http://actor.example",
  "id": "http://actor.example/activity/MxVqlun9eCQ",
  "object": {
    "attributedTo": [
      "http://pasture-one-actor/actor"
    ],
    "content": "single element as list",
    "id": "http://actor.example/object/PtuakGiCpuQ",
    "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://remote.example/"
    ],
    "type": "Note"
  },
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "http://remote.example/",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Create"
}

Activity 3

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "actor": "http://actor.example",
  "id": "http://actor.example/activity/XFZ2rYA1Uqk",
  "object": {
    "attributedTo": [
      "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
      "http://pasture-one-actor/second"
    ],
    "content": "two elements as list",
    "id": "http://actor.example/object/gnOSCISF2jg",
    "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://remote.example/"
    ],
    "type": "Note"
  },
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "http://remote.example/",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Create"
}

Activity 4

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "actor": "http://actor.example",
  "id": "http://actor.example/activity/hQIK8IQHcVk",
  "object": {
    "attributedTo": {
      "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
      "type": "Person"
    },
    "content": "a dictionary",
    "id": "http://actor.example/object/EioYel2hMvg",
    "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://remote.example/"
    ],
    "type": "Note"
  },
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "http://remote.example/",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Create"
}

Activity 5

{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "actor": "http://actor.example",
  "id": "http://actor.example/activity/KufasFFAAPs",
  "object": {
    "attributedTo": [
      {
        "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
        "type": "Person"
      }
    ],
    "content": "a dictionary",
    "id": "http://actor.example/object/rT3rpM-2MXY",
    "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://remote.example/"
    ],
    "type": "Note"
  },
  "published": "2025-11-21T12:05:04Z",
  "to": [
    "http://remote.example/",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "type": "Create"
}