---
title: Web Annotation Standard
date: 2021-01-24
link: https://www.w3.org/TR/annotation-model/
published: 2017-02-23
---

The [Web Annotation Data Model](https://www.w3.org/TR/annotation-model/) is the [[W3C]] recommendation from February 2017. [[Hypothes.is]] wrote a [blog post about the official standard being finalized](https://web.hypothes.is/blog/annotation-is-now-a-web-standard/).

> Annotations are typically used to convey information about a resource or associations between resources. Simple examples include a comment or tag on a single web page or image, or a blog post about a news article.
> 
> The Web Annotation Data Model specification describes a structured model and format to enable annotations to be shared and reused across different hardware and software platforms. Common use cases can be modeled in a manner that is simple and convenient, while at the same time enabling more complex requirements, including linking arbitrary content to a particular data point or to segments of timed multimedia resources.
> 
> The specification provides a specific JSON format for ease of creation and consumption of annotations based on the conceptual model that accommodates these use cases, and the vocabulary of terms that represents it.