Welcome to OGC RAINBOW

A trusted source for geospatial definitions, identifiers, and vocabularies

OGC RAINBOW is the Open Geospatial Consortium’s linked data registry, providing stable, unique web identifiers (IRIs/URIs) for a wide range of official OGC resources. These identifiers are assigned and maintained according to policies set by the OGC Naming Authority.

At its core, RAINBOW is powered by a flexible, extensible knowledge graph. It supports the registration of new terms and enhances cross-linkages between definitions over time—ensuring geospatial concepts remain connected, discoverable, and reusable.

Definitions are published using the SKOS model (Simple Knowledge Organization System), making them available in both human-readable and machine-readable formats. Many also include richer content through alternative profiles that offer extended information.

Resources are organized into ConceptSchemes (vocabulary sets), with individual entries referred to as Concepts. Each Concept may have multiple profile views, helping users find exactly the information they need.

For a deeper dive into how RAINBOW works and how to use it, visit the About page.