---
title: "Get a resource descriptor"
method: GET
path: "/resource/descriptors/{resourceDescriptorId}"
tags: ["ResourceDescriptors"]
---

# Get a resource descriptor

`GET /resource/descriptors/{resourceDescriptorId}`

Reads one resource descriptor including field metadata, contract reference, representation,
and semantic/governance hints. The descriptor does not contain connector credentials or
transport endpoint details.

## Path parameters

- `resourceDescriptorId` string, uuid, required — Stable identifier for a described external or internal resource shape.

## Response `200`

Resource descriptor.

- ResourceDescriptor — Request to describe a resource shape independently from any connector instance or transport. A descriptor can later be attached to one or more connectors.
  - `displayName` string, required — Human-readable resource descriptor name.
  - `description` string — Description of the logical resource and intended use.
  - `resourceKind` 'OBJECT' | 'TABULAR' | 'DOCUMENT' | 'CLAIM_SET' | 'GRAPH' | 'EVENT_STREAM' | 'FILE' | 'SECRET' | 'CONFIGURATION' | 'CREDENTIAL' | 'PRESENTATION' | 'CUSTOM', required — Logical kind of resource being accessed, independent of transport and serialization. For example, a CSV file with rows is ResourceKind TABULAR and RepresentationKind CSV.
  - `representationKind` 'JSON' | 'JSON_LD' | 'XML' | 'CSV' | 'PARQUET' | 'AVRO' | 'RDF' | 'JWT' | 'SD_JWT' | 'CBOR' | 'BINARY' | 'TEXT' | 'CUSTOM', required — Data representation or serialization format, independent of transport. This is the data shape on the wire or at rest, not the connector implementation.
  - `shapeKind` 'SCHEMA' | 'OPENAPI_SCHEMA' | 'JSON_SCHEMA' | 'RDF_SHAPE' | 'SQL_TABLE' | 'CSV_HEADER' | 'CLAIMS_SCHEMA' | 'FREEFORM' — Type of structural shape information used to describe fields and validation rules for a resource.
  - `contract` ContractRef — Reference to the schema, contract, or discovery document that defines or constrains a resource. The contract is descriptive; transport is still represented by AccessProtocol.
    - `contractKind` 'OPENAPI' | 'JSON_SCHEMA' | 'SQL_SCHEMA' | 'RDF_SCHEMA' | 'CSV_PROFILE' | 'OIDC_DISCOVERY' | 'VAULT_POLICY' | 'CUSTOM', required — Contract or schema source used to describe an external resource. Use this to point at OpenAPI documents, JSON Schema, SQL metadata, RDF shapes, CSV profiles, OIDC discovery, or custom contracts.
    - `uri` string — URI or locator for the contract document.
    - `version` string — Contract version understood by the connector.
    - `contentHash` string — Optional hash of the contract content for integrity and drift detection.
    - `metadata` StringMap — Small string-only metadata map for labels, ownership, routing hints, and implementation-specific annotations. Use first-class fields for contractually significant data.
  - `fields` object[] — Stored field descriptors for this resource descriptor.
    - `fieldPath` string, required — Path or column name within the resource representation.
    - `displayName` string — Human-readable field name.
    - `valueType` string, required — Logical value type, for example string, number, boolean, date, datetime, object, array, or binary.
    - `required` boolean — Whether the field is required for validation and mapping.
    - `multiValued` boolean — Whether the field can hold multiple values.
    - `semanticAttributeId` string, uuid — Optional semantic attribute binding used for validation, governance, and policy.
    - `sensitivity` string — Optional sensitivity or classification label used by governance and policy checks.
    - `retention` RetentionSpec — Retention metadata used by governance and future compliance checks. It can be applied to fields, resources, materialized data, or dead-letter payloads.
      - `purpose` string — Processing purpose.
      - `legalBasis` string — Legal or contractual basis for retention.
      - `retentionPeriod` string — ISO-8601 duration, for example P30D or P7Y.
      - `deleteAction` 'DELETE' | 'ANONYMIZE' | 'PSEUDONYMIZE' | 'TOMBSTONE' | 'REVIEW' — Action to apply when retention expires or deletion is required by policy.
      - `metadata` StringMap — Small string-only metadata map for labels, ownership, routing hints, and implementation-specific annotations. Use first-class fields for contractually significant data.
    - `metadata` StringMap — Small string-only metadata map for labels, ownership, routing hints, and implementation-specific annotations. Use first-class fields for contractually significant data.
    - `fieldDescriptorId` string, uuid, required — Stable identifier for a field within a resource descriptor.
  - `metadata` StringMap — Small string-only metadata map for labels, ownership, routing hints, and implementation-specific annotations. Use first-class fields for contractually significant data.
  - `resourceDescriptorId` string, uuid, required — Stable identifier for a described external or internal resource shape.
  - `createdAt` string, date-time, required — Creation timestamp.
  - `updatedAt` string, date-time, required — Last update timestamp.

## Other responses

- `401` — Authentication is required.
- `404` — The requested resource was not found.

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/sphereon-opensource/apis/connector-integration-profile-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/sphereon-opensource/apis/connector-integration-profile-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/sphereon-opensource/connector-integration-profile-api/revisions/60cb8c70871b/schema)