---
title: "Fuzzy name match service (Version 2)"
method: GET
path: "/v2/species/match"
tags: ["Searching names"]
---

# Fuzzy name match service (Version 2)

`GET /v2/species/match`

Fuzzy matches scientific names against the Taxonomy with the optional classification provided. If a classification is provided and strict is not set to true, the default matching will also try to match against these if no direct match is found for the name parameter alone.

Additionally, a lookup may be performed by providing the usageKey which will short-circuit the name-based matching and ONLY use the given key, either finding the concept or returning no match.

## Query parameters

- `usageKey` string
- `taxonID` string
- `taxonConceptID` string
- `scientificNameID` string
- `scientificName` string
- `scientificNameAuthorship` string
- `taxonRank` 'SUPERDOMAIN' | 'DOMAIN' | 'SUBDOMAIN' | 'INFRADOMAIN' | 'EMPIRE' | 'REALM' | 'SUBREALM' | 'SUPERKINGDOM' | 'KINGDOM' | 'SUBKINGDOM' | 'INFRAKINGDOM' | 'SUPERPHYLUM' | 'PHYLUM' | 'SUBPHYLUM' | 'INFRAPHYLUM' | 'PARVPHYLUM' | 'MICROPHYLUM' | 'NANOPHYLUM' | 'CLAUDIUS' | 'GIGACLASS' | 'MEGACLASS' | 'SUPERCLASS' | 'CLASS' | 'SUBCLASS' | 'INFRACLASS' | 'SUBTERCLASS' | 'PARVCLASS' | 'SUPERDIVISION' | 'DIVISION' | 'SUBDIVISION' | 'INFRADIVISION' | 'SUPERLEGION' | 'LEGION' | 'SUBLEGION' | 'INFRALEGION' | 'MEGACOHORT' | 'SUPERCOHORT' | 'COHORT' | 'SUBCOHORT' | 'INFRACOHORT' | 'GIGAORDER' | 'MAGNORDER' | 'GRANDORDER' | 'MIRORDER' | 'SUPERORDER' | 'ORDER' | 'NANORDER' | 'HYPOORDER' | 'MINORDER' | 'SUBORDER' | 'INFRAORDER' | 'PARVORDER' | 'SUPERSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUPERSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'FALANX' | 'GIGAFAMILY' | 'MEGAFAMILY' | 'GRANDFAMILY' | 'SUPERFAMILY' | 'EPIFAMILY' | 'FAMILY' | 'SUBFAMILY' | 'INFRAFAMILY' | 'SUPERTRIBE' | 'TRIBE' | 'SUBTRIBE' | 'INFRATRIBE' | 'SUPRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SUPERGENUS' | 'GENUS' | 'SUBGENUS' | 'INFRAGENUS' | 'SUPERSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUBSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUPERSERIES_BOTANY' | 'SERIES_BOTANY' | 'SUBSERIES_BOTANY' | 'INFRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SPECIES_AGGREGATE' | 'SPECIES' | 'INFRASPECIFIC_NAME' | 'GREX' | 'KLEPTON' | 'SUBSPECIES' | 'CULTIVAR_GROUP' | 'CONVARIETY' | 'INFRASUBSPECIFIC_NAME' | 'PROLES' | 'NATIO' | 'ABERRATION' | 'MORPH' | 'SUPERVARIETY' | 'VARIETY' | 'SUBVARIETY' | 'SUPERFORM' | 'FORM' | 'SUBFORM' | 'PATHOVAR' | 'BIOVAR' | 'CHEMOVAR' | 'MORPHOVAR' | 'PHAGOVAR' | 'SEROVAR' | 'CHEMOFORM' | 'FORMA_SPECIALIS' | 'LUSUS' | 'CULTIVAR' | 'MUTATIO' | 'STRAIN' | 'OTHER' | 'UNRANKED'
- `verbatimTaxonRank` string
- `genericName` string
- `specificEpithet` string
- `infraspecificEpithet` string
- `kingdom` string
- `phylum` string
- `order` string
- `superfamily` string
- `family` string
- `subfamily` string
- `tribe` string
- `subtribe` string
- `genus` string
- `subgenus` string
- `species` string
- `exclude` string
- `strict` boolean
- `verbose` boolean
- `checklistKey` string, uuid
- `class` string

## Response `200`

Name usage suggestions found

- NameUsageMatch — A name usage match returned by the webservices. Includes higher taxonomy and diagnostics
  - `usage` Usage — A name with an identifier and a taxonomic rank
    - `key` string — The identifier for the name usage
    - `name` string — The name usage
    - `canonicalName` string — The canonical name without authorship
    - `authorship` string — The authorship for the name usage
    - `rank` 'SUPERDOMAIN' | 'DOMAIN' | 'SUBDOMAIN' | 'INFRADOMAIN' | 'EMPIRE' | 'REALM' | 'SUBREALM' | 'SUPERKINGDOM' | 'KINGDOM' | 'SUBKINGDOM' | 'INFRAKINGDOM' | 'SUPERPHYLUM' | 'PHYLUM' | 'SUBPHYLUM' | 'INFRAPHYLUM' | 'PARVPHYLUM' | 'MICROPHYLUM' | 'NANOPHYLUM' | 'CLAUDIUS' | 'GIGACLASS' | 'MEGACLASS' | 'SUPERCLASS' | 'CLASS' | 'SUBCLASS' | 'INFRACLASS' | 'SUBTERCLASS' | 'PARVCLASS' | 'SUPERDIVISION' | 'DIVISION' | 'SUBDIVISION' | 'INFRADIVISION' | 'SUPERLEGION' | 'LEGION' | 'SUBLEGION' | 'INFRALEGION' | 'MEGACOHORT' | 'SUPERCOHORT' | 'COHORT' | 'SUBCOHORT' | 'INFRACOHORT' | 'GIGAORDER' | 'MAGNORDER' | 'GRANDORDER' | 'MIRORDER' | 'SUPERORDER' | 'ORDER' | 'NANORDER' | 'HYPOORDER' | 'MINORDER' | 'SUBORDER' | 'INFRAORDER' | 'PARVORDER' | 'SUPERSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUPERSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'FALANX' | 'GIGAFAMILY' | 'MEGAFAMILY' | 'GRANDFAMILY' | 'SUPERFAMILY' | 'EPIFAMILY' | 'FAMILY' | 'SUBFAMILY' | 'INFRAFAMILY' | 'SUPERTRIBE' | 'TRIBE' | 'SUBTRIBE' | 'INFRATRIBE' | 'SUPRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SUPERGENUS' | 'GENUS' | 'SUBGENUS' | 'INFRAGENUS' | 'SUPERSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUBSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUPERSERIES_BOTANY' | 'SERIES_BOTANY' | 'SUBSERIES_BOTANY' | 'INFRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SPECIES_AGGREGATE' | 'SPECIES' | 'INFRASPECIFIC_NAME' | 'GREX' | 'KLEPTON' | 'SUBSPECIES' | 'CULTIVAR_GROUP' | 'CONVARIETY' | 'INFRASUBSPECIFIC_NAME' | 'PROLES' | 'NATIO' | 'ABERRATION' | 'MORPH' | 'SUPERVARIETY' | 'VARIETY' | 'SUBVARIETY' | 'SUPERFORM' | 'FORM' | 'SUBFORM' | 'PATHOVAR' | 'BIOVAR' | 'CHEMOVAR' | 'MORPHOVAR' | 'PHAGOVAR' | 'SEROVAR' | 'CHEMOFORM' | 'FORMA_SPECIALIS' | 'LUSUS' | 'CULTIVAR' | 'MUTATIO' | 'STRAIN' | 'OTHER' | 'UNRANKED' — The taxonomic rank for the name usage
    - `code` 'BACTERIAL' | 'BOTANICAL' | 'CULTIVARS' | 'PHYTO' | 'VIRUS' | 'ZOOLOGICAL' | 'PHYLO' — The nomenclatural code for the name usage
    - `status` 'ACCEPTED' | 'PROVISIONALLY_ACCEPTED' | 'SYNONYM' | 'AMBIGUOUS_SYNONYM' | 'MISAPPLIED' | 'BARE_NAME' — The status of the usage e.g. ACCEPTED, SYNONYM, PROVISIONALLY_ACCEPTED, etc.
    - `uninomial` string — The unominal name for the name usage
    - `genericName` string — The genus or genericName for the name usage
    - `infragenericEpithet` string — The infrageneric epithet, typically a subgenus or section within a genus
    - `specificEpithet` string — The specific epithet, forming the second part of a species name
    - `infraspecificEpithet` string — The infraspecific epithet, used for taxa below the species level (e.g., subspecies)
    - `type` string — The nomenclatural type of the name (e.g., scientific, cultivar, informal)
    - `formattedName` string — The name formatted in HTML
  - `acceptedUsage` Usage — A name with an identifier and a taxonomic rank
    - `key` string — The identifier for the name usage
    - `name` string — The name usage
    - `canonicalName` string — The canonical name without authorship
    - `authorship` string — The authorship for the name usage
    - `rank` 'SUPERDOMAIN' | 'DOMAIN' | 'SUBDOMAIN' | 'INFRADOMAIN' | 'EMPIRE' | 'REALM' | 'SUBREALM' | 'SUPERKINGDOM' | 'KINGDOM' | 'SUBKINGDOM' | 'INFRAKINGDOM' | 'SUPERPHYLUM' | 'PHYLUM' | 'SUBPHYLUM' | 'INFRAPHYLUM' | 'PARVPHYLUM' | 'MICROPHYLUM' | 'NANOPHYLUM' | 'CLAUDIUS' | 'GIGACLASS' | 'MEGACLASS' | 'SUPERCLASS' | 'CLASS' | 'SUBCLASS' | 'INFRACLASS' | 'SUBTERCLASS' | 'PARVCLASS' | 'SUPERDIVISION' | 'DIVISION' | 'SUBDIVISION' | 'INFRADIVISION' | 'SUPERLEGION' | 'LEGION' | 'SUBLEGION' | 'INFRALEGION' | 'MEGACOHORT' | 'SUPERCOHORT' | 'COHORT' | 'SUBCOHORT' | 'INFRACOHORT' | 'GIGAORDER' | 'MAGNORDER' | 'GRANDORDER' | 'MIRORDER' | 'SUPERORDER' | 'ORDER' | 'NANORDER' | 'HYPOORDER' | 'MINORDER' | 'SUBORDER' | 'INFRAORDER' | 'PARVORDER' | 'SUPERSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUPERSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'FALANX' | 'GIGAFAMILY' | 'MEGAFAMILY' | 'GRANDFAMILY' | 'SUPERFAMILY' | 'EPIFAMILY' | 'FAMILY' | 'SUBFAMILY' | 'INFRAFAMILY' | 'SUPERTRIBE' | 'TRIBE' | 'SUBTRIBE' | 'INFRATRIBE' | 'SUPRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SUPERGENUS' | 'GENUS' | 'SUBGENUS' | 'INFRAGENUS' | 'SUPERSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUBSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUPERSERIES_BOTANY' | 'SERIES_BOTANY' | 'SUBSERIES_BOTANY' | 'INFRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SPECIES_AGGREGATE' | 'SPECIES' | 'INFRASPECIFIC_NAME' | 'GREX' | 'KLEPTON' | 'SUBSPECIES' | 'CULTIVAR_GROUP' | 'CONVARIETY' | 'INFRASUBSPECIFIC_NAME' | 'PROLES' | 'NATIO' | 'ABERRATION' | 'MORPH' | 'SUPERVARIETY' | 'VARIETY' | 'SUBVARIETY' | 'SUPERFORM' | 'FORM' | 'SUBFORM' | 'PATHOVAR' | 'BIOVAR' | 'CHEMOVAR' | 'MORPHOVAR' | 'PHAGOVAR' | 'SEROVAR' | 'CHEMOFORM' | 'FORMA_SPECIALIS' | 'LUSUS' | 'CULTIVAR' | 'MUTATIO' | 'STRAIN' | 'OTHER' | 'UNRANKED' — The taxonomic rank for the name usage
    - `code` 'BACTERIAL' | 'BOTANICAL' | 'CULTIVARS' | 'PHYTO' | 'VIRUS' | 'ZOOLOGICAL' | 'PHYLO' — The nomenclatural code for the name usage
    - `status` 'ACCEPTED' | 'PROVISIONALLY_ACCEPTED' | 'SYNONYM' | 'AMBIGUOUS_SYNONYM' | 'MISAPPLIED' | 'BARE_NAME' — The status of the usage e.g. ACCEPTED, SYNONYM, PROVISIONALLY_ACCEPTED, etc.
    - `uninomial` string — The unominal name for the name usage
    - `genericName` string — The genus or genericName for the name usage
    - `infragenericEpithet` string — The infrageneric epithet, typically a subgenus or section within a genus
    - `specificEpithet` string — The specific epithet, forming the second part of a species name
    - `infraspecificEpithet` string — The infraspecific epithet, used for taxa below the species level (e.g., subspecies)
    - `type` string — The nomenclatural type of the name (e.g., scientific, cultivar, informal)
    - `formattedName` string — The name formatted in HTML
  - `classification` RankedName[] — The classification of the accepted name usage.
    - `key` string — The identifier for the name usage
    - `name` string — The name usage
    - `rank` 'SUPERDOMAIN' | 'DOMAIN' | 'SUBDOMAIN' | 'INFRADOMAIN' | 'EMPIRE' | 'REALM' | 'SUBREALM' | 'SUPERKINGDOM' | 'KINGDOM' | 'SUBKINGDOM' | 'INFRAKINGDOM' | 'SUPERPHYLUM' | 'PHYLUM' | 'SUBPHYLUM' | 'INFRAPHYLUM' | 'PARVPHYLUM' | 'MICROPHYLUM' | 'NANOPHYLUM' | 'CLAUDIUS' | 'GIGACLASS' | 'MEGACLASS' | 'SUPERCLASS' | 'CLASS' | 'SUBCLASS' | 'INFRACLASS' | 'SUBTERCLASS' | 'PARVCLASS' | 'SUPERDIVISION' | 'DIVISION' | 'SUBDIVISION' | 'INFRADIVISION' | 'SUPERLEGION' | 'LEGION' | 'SUBLEGION' | 'INFRALEGION' | 'MEGACOHORT' | 'SUPERCOHORT' | 'COHORT' | 'SUBCOHORT' | 'INFRACOHORT' | 'GIGAORDER' | 'MAGNORDER' | 'GRANDORDER' | 'MIRORDER' | 'SUPERORDER' | 'ORDER' | 'NANORDER' | 'HYPOORDER' | 'MINORDER' | 'SUBORDER' | 'INFRAORDER' | 'PARVORDER' | 'SUPERSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSECTION_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUPERSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'SUBSERIES_ZOOLOGY' | 'FALANX' | 'GIGAFAMILY' | 'MEGAFAMILY' | 'GRANDFAMILY' | 'SUPERFAMILY' | 'EPIFAMILY' | 'FAMILY' | 'SUBFAMILY' | 'INFRAFAMILY' | 'SUPERTRIBE' | 'TRIBE' | 'SUBTRIBE' | 'INFRATRIBE' | 'SUPRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SUPERGENUS' | 'GENUS' | 'SUBGENUS' | 'INFRAGENUS' | 'SUPERSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUBSECTION_BOTANY' | 'SUPERSERIES_BOTANY' | 'SERIES_BOTANY' | 'SUBSERIES_BOTANY' | 'INFRAGENERIC_NAME' | 'SPECIES_AGGREGATE' | 'SPECIES' | 'INFRASPECIFIC_NAME' | 'GREX' | 'KLEPTON' | 'SUBSPECIES' | 'CULTIVAR_GROUP' | 'CONVARIETY' | 'INFRASUBSPECIFIC_NAME' | 'PROLES' | 'NATIO' | 'ABERRATION' | 'MORPH' | 'SUPERVARIETY' | 'VARIETY' | 'SUBVARIETY' | 'SUPERFORM' | 'FORM' | 'SUBFORM' | 'PATHOVAR' | 'BIOVAR' | 'CHEMOVAR' | 'MORPHOVAR' | 'PHAGOVAR' | 'SEROVAR' | 'CHEMOFORM' | 'FORMA_SPECIALIS' | 'LUSUS' | 'CULTIVAR' | 'MUTATIO' | 'STRAIN' | 'OTHER' | 'UNRANKED' — The taxonomic rank for the name usage
    - `code` 'BACTERIAL' | 'BOTANICAL' | 'CULTIVARS' | 'PHYTO' | 'VIRUS' | 'ZOOLOGICAL' | 'PHYLO' — The nomenclatural code for the name usage
  - `diagnostics` Diagnostics — Diagnostics for a name match including the type of match and confidence level
    - `matchType` 'EXACT' | 'VARIANT' | 'CANONICAL' | 'AMBIGUOUS' | 'NONE' | 'UNSUPPORTED' | 'HIGHERRANK' — The match type, e.g. 'exact', 'fuzzy', 'partial', 'none'
    - `issues` string[] — Issues with the name usage match that has been returned
    - `processingFlags` string[] — Issues encountered during steps of the match process
    - `confidence` integer — Confidence level in percent
    - `note` string — Additional notes about the match
    - `timeTaken` integer — Time taken to perform the match in milliseconds
    - `alternatives` NameUsageMatch[] — A list of similar matches with lower confidence scores
    - `timings` object — A set of timings for the different steps of the match process
    - `matchedID` ExternalID — An identifier from another checklist that may be associated with a name usage in the main index
      - `id` string — The external identifier that may or may not have been associated with the main index
      - `mainIndexID` string — The main index identifier that the external identifier was matched to
      - `datasetKey` string — The gbif key of the dataset containing the joined external ID
      - `clbDatasetKey` string — The checklistbank dataset key of the joined external ID
      - `datasetTitle` string — The dataset title of the joined external ID
      - `parentID` string — The parent ID of the external identifier
      - `scientificName` string — The scientific name associated with the external identifier
      - `acceptedTaxonID` string — The accepted taxon ID of the external identifier
      - `rank` string — The rank of the external identifier
      - `status` string — The status of the external identifier
      - `recognisedVariants` string[] — Recognised variants of this ID
  - `additionalStatus` Status[] — Status information from external sources such as IUCN Red List
    - `clbDatasetKey` string — The checklistbank dataset key for the dataset that the status is associated with
    - `datasetAlias` string — The dataset alias for the dataset that the status is associated with
    - `datasetKey` string — The GBIF registry key (UUID) for the dataset that the status is associated with
    - `status` string — The status value
    - `statusCode` string — The status code value
    - `sourceId` string — The ID in the source dataset for this status. e.g. the IUCN ID for this taxon
  - `synonym` boolean — If the matched usage is a synonym
  - `left` integer — The left ID of the nested set
  - `right` integer — The right ID of the nested set

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/gbif/apis/species-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/gbif/apis/species-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/gbif/species-api/versions/156fd5bac927/schema)