W3C publishes draft specification for SHACL-based user interfaces

The World Wide Web Consortium Data Shapes Working Group has published the First Public Working Draft of SHACL 1.2 User Interfaces, a new specification designed to describe user interfaces using the Shapes Constraint Language (SHACL).

The draft forms part of the broader SHACL 1.2 family of specifications, which are being developed to support the creation, validation, and management of structured data on the web.

SHACL is a W3C standard used to define rules and constraints for RDF data, the data model underpinning many linked data and semantic web applications. The new specification extends this work by providing a framework for describing how data should be presented and edited through user interfaces.

According to the draft, SHACL User Interfaces enable developers to define interface elements directly from data models and shapes. This approach allows applications to generate forms, editors, and other user interface components from machine-readable descriptions rather than requiring separate interface definitions.

The specification introduces concepts for describing user interface controls, grouping information, defining display behaviour, and supporting data entry workflows. By linking interface descriptions to SHACL shapes, developers can align validation rules and user interactions with the underlying data structure.

The draft is intended for developers working with linked data, knowledge graphs, semantic web technologies, and data-driven applications where consistency between data models and user interfaces is important.

As a First Public Working Draft, the document represents an early stage in the W3C standards process. The Data Shapes Working Group is seeking feedback from implementers and the wider community as work on the SHACL 1.2 specification suite continues.

The draft was published on 26 May 2026 and is available for public review through the W3C standards development process.