Folksonomy Engine API
Collaborative tagging system for adding free-form property/value pairs to Open Food Facts products
A lightweight REST API designed for the Open Food Facts Folksonomy Engine.
The Folksonomy Engine API allows you to add free property/value pairs to Open Food Facts products. This collaborative tagging system enables users to contribute additional metadata and properties that enhance product information beyond the standard structured data.
Folksonomy enables the community to add custom tags and properties to products, creating a rich ecosystem of user-generated metadata that complements the core product database.
What is Folksonomy?
Folksonomy is a collaborative classification system that allows users to assign freely chosen keywords (tags) to products. Unlike traditional taxonomies that are hierarchical and controlled, folksonomy is:
Community members can add any property/value pairs they find relevant
No predefined categories - tags can represent any aspect of a product
Multiple users can contribute and validate tags for better data quality
The tag vocabulary grows organically based on community needs
Integration
The Folksonomy API integrates with:
- Open Food Facts Product Opener
- Open Food Facts mobile apps
- Third-party applications via REST API
Note: Moderators can access the folksonomy engine directly on Open Food Facts without any extension. The UI has not yet been deployed on Open Products Facts, Open Pet Food Facts, or Open Beauty Facts, but has been proven to work via the extension.
Key Features
Product Tags
Add, update, and manage custom tags for products with key-value pairs
Authentication
Secure authentication using Open Food Facts credentials or session cookies
Search & Filter
Find products and tags using flexible search and filtering capabilities
Statistics
Access usage statistics and analytics for tags and products
API Overview
The Folksonomy Engine uses the following main concepts:
- product: the product barcode/identifier
- k: "key", meaning the property or tag name
- v: "value", the value for a related key
- owner: optional ownership identifier for private tags
Common Use Cases
Technical Implementation
Getting Started
- Authenticate: Get a bearer token using your Open Food Facts credentials
- Add Tags: Create new product tags with custom properties
- Query Data: Search for products and tags using the flexible API endpoints
- Manage Tags: Update, delete, and version your contributions
Be mindful of tag quality and relevance. The Folksonomy system is collaborative, so consider the impact of your contributions on the broader community.
Related Resources
Contributors
View the Folksonomy API repository on GitHub.