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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.

Examples

Example 1

activity
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Create",
  "actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/S0aXnYq9hJQ",
  "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:32Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/YM69P-MwKJE",
    "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:32Z",
    "content": "single element"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "114816824981347812",
  "created_at": "2025-07-08T09:08:32.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/YM69P-MwKJE",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/YM69P-MwKJE",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "edited_at": null,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "content": "single element",
  "filtered": [],
  "reblog": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "114816814107090969",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-07-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 96,
    "last_status_at": "2025-07-08",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}

Example 2

activity
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Create",
  "actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/z7PdqjDgr5k",
  "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:33Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": [
      "http://pasture-one-actor/actor"
    ],
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/1rAStGGS0fI",
    "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:33Z",
    "content": "single element as list"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "114816825044224871",
  "created_at": "2025-07-08T09:08:33.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/1rAStGGS0fI",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/1rAStGGS0fI",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "edited_at": null,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "content": "single element as list",
  "filtered": [],
  "reblog": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "114816814107090969",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-07-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 97,
    "last_status_at": "2025-07-08",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}

Example 3

activity
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Create",
  "actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/w5uRjOV5u70",
  "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:34Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": [
      "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
      "http://pasture-one-actor/second"
    ],
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/TTjMhIxQ56c",
    "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:34Z",
    "content": "two elements as list"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "114816825104021754",
  "created_at": "2025-07-08T09:08:34.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/TTjMhIxQ56c",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/TTjMhIxQ56c",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "edited_at": null,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "content": "two elements as list",
  "filtered": [],
  "reblog": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "114816814107090969",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-07-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 98,
    "last_status_at": "2025-07-08",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}

Example 4

activity
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Create",
  "actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/avMhnnGbaJk",
  "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:35Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": {
      "type": "Person",
      "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor"
    },
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Yoh7GnHgEIg",
    "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:35Z",
    "content": "a dictionary"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "114816825165256802",
  "created_at": "2025-07-08T09:08:35.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Yoh7GnHgEIg",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/Yoh7GnHgEIg",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "edited_at": null,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "content": "a dictionary",
  "filtered": [],
  "reblog": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "114816814107090969",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-07-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 99,
    "last_status_at": "2025-07-08",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}

Example 5

activity
{
  "@context": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams",
    {
      "Hashtag": "as:Hashtag",
      "sensitive": "as:sensitive"
    }
  ],
  "type": "Create",
  "actor": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
  "to": [
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/BZXPBMJEbG8",
  "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:36Z",
  "object": {
    "type": "Note",
    "attributedTo": [
      {
        "type": "Person",
        "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor"
      }
    ],
    "to": [
      "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public",
      "http://mastodon/users/hippo"
    ],
    "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/PF9FlLnIIzM",
    "published": "2025-07-08T09:08:36Z",
    "content": "a dictionary"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "114816825246361241",
  "created_at": "2025-07-08T09:08:36.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/PF9FlLnIIzM",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor/PF9FlLnIIzM",
  "replies_count": 0,
  "reblogs_count": 0,
  "favourites_count": 0,
  "edited_at": null,
  "favourited": false,
  "reblogged": false,
  "muted": false,
  "bookmarked": false,
  "content": "a dictionary",
  "filtered": [],
  "reblog": null,
  "account": {
    "id": "114816814107090969",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-07-08T00:00:00.000Z",
    "note": "",
    "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/actor",
    "avatar": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "avatar_static": "http://mastodon/avatars/original/missing.png",
    "header": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "header_static": "http://mastodon/headers/original/missing.png",
    "followers_count": 0,
    "following_count": 0,
    "statuses_count": 100,
    "last_status_at": "2025-07-08",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}