Authority in xAPI: Why It Matters and How to Use It

When you first start exploring xAPI, you quickly get familiar with the core structure of a statement: Actor – Verb – Object.
But there’s another field quietly working behind the scenes that can make or break the trustworthiness of your data:
Authority

What is the Authority Field?

Every xAPI statement can include an authority property. This isn’t about what was done — it’s about who is asserting that it happened.

Think of it like a signature on a document:

Here’s a simplified example of an xAPI statement with the authority field included and highlighted:

{
  "actor": {
    "name": "Jon Smith",
    "mbox": "mailto:jon@example.com"
  },
  "verb": {
    "id": "http://adlnet.gov/expapi/verbs/completed",
    "display": { "en-US": "completed" }
  },
  "object": {
    "id": "http://example.com/activities/safety-module-1",
    "definition": {
      "name": { "en-US": "Safety Module 1" },
      "description": { "en-US": "Online safety training module." }
    },
    "objectType": "Activity"
  },
  "authority": {
    "objectType": "Agent",
    "name": "Official LMS",
    "mbox": "mailto:lms@example.com"
  },
  "timestamp": "2025-07-21T10:45:00Z"
}

Notice the authority field:
It clearly identifies who is asserting that this statement is valid — in this example, the Official LMS.
This is crucial when your LRS is collecting data from multiple sources.

Why Is Authority Important?

In a simple setup with one LMS, you might not think twice about authority.
But as soon as you start combining data from multiple sources — LMS, simulations, mobile apps, external assessments — things get messy fast.

Two systems might send the same type of statement:

• “Jon Smith completed Safety Module 1.”

Without an authority field, you don’t know which system issued it:

• Was it the official LMS?
• A test environment someone spun up last month?
• A third‑party tool experimenting with your API?

In regulated industries, audits, or formal assessments, trust matters. The authority field gives you that trail of accountability.

Real‑World Scenarios

Audit requirements: When you need evidence of compliance training, you can filter by authority to show only statements issued by your official LMS.

Multiple tools: If your H5P activities in Moodle and your VR simulator both send statements, you can differentiate between them in reporting.

Sandbox vs production: Quickly exclude statements from a development environment.

Best Practices for Managing Authority

🔹 Document your trusted systems: Keep a list of which platforms are allowed to issue official statements.

🔹 Check your integration settings: Some tools let you configure or override the authority field — make sure it’s set to something meaningful (like your organisation’s name or the LMS identity).

🔹 Filter in your LRS: When building dashboards or reports, include authority as a filter so only data from trusted sources is shown.

Final Thoughts

xAPI isn’t just about collecting more data — it’s about collecting reliable data.

The authority field might seem like a small detail, but it’s a key part of ensuring your learning records are trustworthy, auditable, and actionable.

💬 How are you managing authorities in your xAPI ecosystem?

I’d love to hear how others are approaching this — share your thoughts in the comments.

Written in collaboration with AI