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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": [
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/TC5cFDHy5Vg",
  "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:32Z",
  "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/object/RS7U4SCmgNY",
    "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:32Z",
    "content": "single element"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "115269463744067443",
  "created_at": "2025-09-26T07:40:32.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/RS7U4SCmgNY",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/RS7U4SCmgNY",
  "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": "115269447959331442",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-09-26T00:00:00.000Z",
    "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": 147,
    "last_status_at": "2025-09-26",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "quote": null,
  "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": [
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/EbcBTry4ezM",
  "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:33Z",
  "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/object/nQLdPeAO2is",
    "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:33Z",
    "content": "single element as list"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "115269463796146682",
  "created_at": "2025-09-26T07:40:33.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/nQLdPeAO2is",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/nQLdPeAO2is",
  "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": "115269447959331442",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-09-26T00:00:00.000Z",
    "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": 148,
    "last_status_at": "2025-09-26",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "quote": null,
  "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": [
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/bGFoT8ZXCvo",
  "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:34Z",
  "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/object/pRJS5UbA1sw",
    "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:34Z",
    "content": "two elements as list"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "115269463848460704",
  "created_at": "2025-09-26T07:40:34.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/pRJS5UbA1sw",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/pRJS5UbA1sw",
  "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": "115269447959331442",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-09-26T00:00:00.000Z",
    "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": 149,
    "last_status_at": "2025-09-26",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "quote": null,
  "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": [
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/qjP71RlC8vw",
  "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:34Z",
  "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/object/NjpRyJyuH4c",
    "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:34Z",
    "content": "a dictionary"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "115269463901066469",
  "created_at": "2025-09-26T07:40:34.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/NjpRyJyuH4c",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/NjpRyJyuH4c",
  "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": "115269447959331442",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-09-26T00:00:00.000Z",
    "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": 150,
    "last_status_at": "2025-09-26",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "quote": null,
  "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": [
    "http://mastodon/users/hippo",
    "https://www.w3.org/ns/activitystreams#Public"
  ],
  "id": "http://pasture-one-actor/activity/lG7CTmg2guk",
  "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:35Z",
  "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/object/uFisESfrnzk",
    "published": "2025-09-26T07:40:35Z",
    "content": "a dictionary"
  }
}
mastodon
{
  "id": "115269463951502025",
  "created_at": "2025-09-26T07:40:35.000Z",
  "in_reply_to_id": null,
  "in_reply_to_account_id": null,
  "sensitive": false,
  "spoiler_text": "",
  "visibility": "public",
  "language": null,
  "uri": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/uFisESfrnzk",
  "url": "http://pasture-one-actor/object/uFisESfrnzk",
  "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": "115269447959331442",
    "username": "actor",
    "acct": "actor@pasture-one-actor",
    "display_name": "Test Actor",
    "locked": false,
    "bot": false,
    "discoverable": false,
    "indexable": false,
    "group": false,
    "created_at": "2025-09-26T00:00:00.000Z",
    "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": 151,
    "last_status_at": "2025-09-26",
    "hide_collections": true,
    "emojis": [],
    "fields": []
  },
  "media_attachments": [],
  "mentions": [],
  "tags": [],
  "emojis": [],
  "quote": null,
  "card": null,
  "poll": null
}