---
title: "ID lookup service"
method: GET
path: "/v2/species/match/id/{identifier}"
tags: ["ID lookup services"]
---

# ID lookup service

`GET /v2/species/match/id/{identifier}`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.gbif.org`
- URL: `https://api.gbif.org/v2/species/match/id/{identifier}`
- Auth: none declared
- TypeScript: <https://skmtc.dev/gbif/apis/species-api/docs/v2/species/match/id/:identifier/get.ts> (a function with typed inputs; its response is checked against the schema)

A lookup service, largely intended for debug purposes, to enable verification that an external ID has been indexed and to check if the ID has been associated with a taxon in the main index.

## Path parameters

- `identifier` string, required

## Response `200`

Name usage suggestions found

- ExternalID[]
  - `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
  - `recognizedVariants` string[]: Recognized variants of this ID

## Changes

- **2026-11-10** `340d13cde148`: 1 warning, 1 info
  - removed the optional property `items/recognisedVariants` from the response with the `200` status
  - added the optional property `items/recognizedVariants` to the response with the `200` status
- **2026-08-06** `156fd5bac927`: 1 info
  - added the optional property `items/recognisedVariants` to the response with the `200` status

[Operation history](https://skmtc.dev/gbif/apis/species-api/changes/v2/species/match/id/:identifier/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/gbif/apis/species-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/gbif/apis/species-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/gbif/apis/species-api/revisions/340d13cde148?raw)