SameAs

The sameAs property creates an unambiguous, machine-readable assertion that two URIs refer to the identical real-world entity. Unlike fuzzy matching, this is a deterministic link.

• It connects a webpage's Organization node to its https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q... entry.
• Search engines use this to consolidate signals, merging facts from your site with their global knowledge graph.
• This is the strongest possible signal for entity disambiguation.

The value of a sameAs link is directly proportional to the authority of the target URI. It must point to a non-ambiguous, widely recognized knowledge base.

• Primary targets: Wikidata, Wikipedia, DBpedia, and the Google Knowledge Graph ID.
• Secondary targets: Authoritative government registries, ISBN databases, or ISO standards URIs.
• Invalid use: Linking to a social media profile or a search results page; use url or sameAs on the profile entity itself instead.

The sameAs property is symmetric and transitive, forming a web of trust across the semantic web.

• If A sameAs B, then B sameAs A is implied.
• You should list multiple external identifiers for the same entity to create a dense reconciliation graph.
• Example: A corporation can have sameAs links to its Wikidata ID, SEC CIK number, and LEI (Legal Entity Identifier).

In JSON-LD, sameAs is implemented as an array of URI strings on the entity node. It must be a direct property of the typed entity.

jsonCopy
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Corp",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12345",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Example_Corp"
  ]
}

• URIs must be absolute and canonical.
• Never use relative paths or fragment identifiers.

A critical point of confusion is the difference between sameAs and url. They serve distinct purposes.

• url: Links to the entity's own official homepage or a page directly controlled by the entity.
• sameAs: Links to an external, independent authority's canonical page about the entity.
• Using sameAs to point to your own site creates a self-referencing logical loop and provides zero reconciliation value.

Correct sameAs usage is a prerequisite for occupying a confirmed entity slot in search engine knowledge vaults.

• It moves your entity from an unconfirmed cluster to a verified, canonical node.
• This directly influences Knowledge Panel generation and Entity Featured Snippets.
• In the era of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), a confirmed entity is more likely to be cited as a source in AI-generated answers.