---
title: "Read Source Description"
method: GET
path: "/sources/descriptions/{sdid}"
tags: ["Sources"]
---

# Read Source Description

`GET /sources/descriptions/{sdid}`

Read a source description. The Source Description resource gets a user's source description.

The FamilySearch implementation of the Source Description resource does not support all properties of a source description as defined by GEDCOM X. Support is limited to the following:

| Property | Description |
| --- | --- |
| id | A local identifier for the source description. |
| about | URI to the resource being described, if any. |
| title | Label, title, or other name to display to the user for the source. |
| citation | The citation for the source. FamilySearch only supports the value of the citation and not any template or associated citation fields. |
| notes | Notes about the source provided by a user. |

## Path parameters

- `sdid` string, required

## Headers

- `Accept` 'application/x-fs-v1+json' | 'application/x-gedcomx-v1+json' | 'application/json' | 'application/x-fs-v1+xml' | 'application/x-gedcomx-v1+xml' | 'application/xml', required

## Response `200`

The read was successful. See <a href="https://developers.familysearch.org/main/docs/json-schema#sourcedescription" target="_blank">SourceDescription Schema (JSON)</a>

## Other responses

- `301` — Returned if the system failed to retrieve the Title and Citation.
- `307` — Returned if the system failed to retrieve the Citation. The title is user contributed.
- `404` — If the requested source description is not found.

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/familysearch/apis/authentication-endpoints.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/familysearch/apis/authentication-endpoints/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/familysearch/authentication-endpoints/revisions/2b5020574a62/schema)