About schemas.isotc211.org

The authoritative host for ISO/TC 211 implementation schemas. This site serves XML Schema (XSD) and JSON Schema files, provides interactive schema browsers, and hosts supporting resources for implementers of geographic information standards.

Schema Dereferencing

ISO/TC 211 XML schemas use schemaLocation attributes to reference normative schema files. This site resolves those URLs at https://schemas.isotc211.org/…, allowing XML validators, IDEs, and other tools to automatically retrieve the correct schema definitions. The same URLs serve both the raw XSD files (for machine consumption) and human-readable schema browsers.

URI Structure

ISO/TC 211 has adopted a standardized URI framework for identifying schemas, namespaces, ontologies, and other implementation resources (ISO/TC 211 Resolution 858). The following patterns apply to all schemas hosted on this site.

XML Namespace

https://schemas.isotc211.org/{Standard}/{-Part}/{Namespace}/{Edition}.{MajorRelease}

Example: https://schemas.isotc211.org/19115/-1/mcc/2.2

XML Schema Location

https://schemas.isotc211.org/{Standard}/{-Part}/{Namespace}/{Edition}.{Major}.{Minor}/{Namespace}.xsd

Example: https://schemas.isotc211.org/19115/-1/mcc/2.2.1/mcc.xsd

Path Elements

ElementDescriptionExample
StandardMain standard number (5 digits)19115
-PartPart number with dash prefix; - for no part-1, -
Namespace3-letter XML namespace / module namecit, mdb
EditionOfficial ISO edition number2
MajorMajor schema release (new namespace)2
MinorMinor schema revision (same namespace)1

The edition number is included in the namespace URI to ease version upgrades. The major release number introduces a new namespace when breaking changes occur. The minor revision number only appears in schemaLocation for backward-compatible fixes.

Serving Schemas

This site serves both XML and JSON schemas for direct machine consumption. All files are served at canonical top-level URLs — there is no /schemas/ prefix in any URL path.

  • XML Schemas (XSD) — served at their normative schemaLocation URLs: /{standard}/{part}/{module}/{version}/{module}.xsd. Tools resolve these automatically via xsi:schemaLocation or <import> directives.
  • JSON Schemas — served under /json/{standard}/{part}/{module}/{version}/…. Use the $id URI for $ref resolution.
  • Interactive Browsers — each schema package has a browsable SPA at /{standard}/{part}/{module}/{version}/browse/ showing elements, types, properties, and cross-references.
  • Namespace Hubs — each XML namespace resolves to a hub page at /{standard}/{part}/{module}/{version}/ listing schema locations, package info, and browse links.
  • Supporting resources — examples, transforms, codelists, Schematron rules, and download bundles are served under per-standard paths like /{standard}/resources/….

Some schemas were previously available at paths without the part number (e.g., /19155/gpi/1.0/ instead of /19155/-/gpi/1.0/). These legacy paths are redirected to the canonical URLs above. For XML data files, the actual file is served at the old path since XML parsers cannot follow HTML redirects.

Implementation Tools

The following tools and resources support working with ISO/TC 211 schemas:

LutaML XSD

Parses XSD schemas and generates interactive SPA documentation with element/type hierarchies, cross-references, and diagrams.

Schema Repository

Git repository containing all XSD and JSON schema files, Schematron rules, example instances, codelist dictionaries, and XSLT transforms.

XML Maintenance Group

The ISO/TC 211 XML Maintenance Group (XMG) manages schema harmonization, versioning, and defect resolution.

Validation Resources

Each schema package includes validation and testing resources:

  • Schematron Rules — ISO Schematron (.sch) files provide constraint validation beyond what XSD can express. Available alongside each schema module and as cross-cutting rules per standard.
  • Example Instances — valid and invalid XML/JSON example files for testing implementations. Located in examples/ subdirectories within each schema version.
  • Codelist Dictionaries — XML codelist vocabulary files for enumerated types used in metadata, quality, and other domains.
  • XSLT Transforms — stylesheets for converting between schema versions, generating HTML from codelists, and reordering metadata records.

Related ISO/TC 211 Sites