How to add or update a vessel in Wikidata

What an edit can change

A vessel page combines the ship’s own radio reports with documented particulars. Wikidata can supply facts such as vessel type, builder, operator, year built, dimensions and former names. Check the source links under Particulars to see where a fact came from.

Wikidata edits do not change the vessel’s broadcast name, call sign, position, speed, destination or numeric AIS type. For example, a survey vessel can correctly broadcast AIS type 90, “Other.” A more specific Wikidata type describes its role alongside that radio classification. Incorrect transponder settings need to be corrected aboard the vessel.

Open Waters AIS currently imports Wikidata particulars by IMO number on a weekly schedule. Adding an MMSI is useful for Wikidata, but does not yet make a vessel without an IMO appear in our enrichment. Not every Wikidata property is imported, and an official registry may take precedence over Wikidata for a particular fact.

1. Find the right vessel

1. Open the Wikidata source link on the vessel page, if one is present. Otherwise, search Wikidata for its name and identifiers. Try former names and alternative spellings too.
2. Check that the item represents this individual vessel, rather than its class, manufacturer, or another ship with the same name. Compare its IMO, operator and history. An MMSI can be reassigned, so do not use an MMSI match alone as proof of identity.
3. If no item exists, read Wikidata’s inclusion criteria before creating an item. A Wikipedia article is not required, but the vessel must meet Wikidata’s criteria.

For a new item, enter the vessel’s name as the label, a short description that distinguishes it from namesakes, and documented alternative names as aliases. An observed AIS spelling can be an alias; it does not need to replace the normal name. An account makes it easier to follow your contributions and discussions.

2. Add or correct a fact

Each row under Statements is a property and a value. Click edit beside an existing fact, or add statement for a missing one. Search for the property by its name or the P-number below, enter the value, add its source, and click publish.

Company and vessel-type values link to other Wikidata items. Open the candidate item and check its identity before selecting it: an unrelated company may have exactly the same name. If the correct item is missing, leave the fact out until that item can be established. Do not invent an IMO number or a service-entry date to fill a gap.

A fact that was true in the past is different from an error. For a documented former operator or identifier, preserve its history and add dates supported by sources. If you cannot resolve a disagreement, use the item’s Discussion page rather than repeatedly replacing another contributor’s edits. See the ship property guide for more fields.

3. Add a reference: where did the fact come from?

Use a vessel registry, the operator’s fleet page, the builder’s announcement, or a reputable maritime publication. For radio identifiers, a separate AIS tracker can corroborate the vessel name, MMSI and call sign. Verify that the source actually supports the specific fact.

Prefer sources outside Open Waters. Citing our vessel page for a fact that we will then import back from Wikidata creates circular sourcing. A source for a vessel’s construction may not establish its current operator.

1. Under the statement, click add reference.
2. Choose reference URL (P854) and paste the supporting page’s full address.
3. Within that same reference block, add retrieved (P813) and the date you checked the page.
4. Save the reference and publish any remaining unsaved edits.

A reference belongs to the statement it supports. Repeat it on another statement if it supports that fact too. If citing two separate sources, add two reference blocks. Wikidata’s reference guide covers other source types.

4. Add MMSI and call sign, with dates

An IMO identifies a hull throughout its life. An MMSI identifies a radio assignment and can later belong to another vessel; a call sign can also change. Record when the identifier is known to apply. Wikidata recommends point-in-time qualifiers for MMSIs.

1. Add a statement: MMSI (P587), followed by the verified number.
2. On that statement, click add qualifier. Choose point in time (P585) and enter the date the source establishes the identifier, or the date you verified its listing on a current source. Use the source’s observation date for a historical report.
3. Click add reference. Add the source’s reference URL and a retrieved date, as above.
4. Repeat for call sign (P2317), including its qualifier and reference.

Leave start time and end time unset unless a source establishes when the assignment began or ended. A tracker’s last-position timestamp does not establish the assignment date.

This example uses USV Elite, with MMSI 533134283 and call sign 9M4417. Compare its independent tracker listing with other sources before editing. The dates illustrate a check made on 4 November 2026. Use the dates your own sources support when editing another vessel. USV Elite has no IMO number, so this example improves its Wikidata record but will not yet update its Open Waters AIS particulars.

5. Check your edit and allow time for updates

Expand the reference to check its URL and retrieved date. The point-in-time qualifier should sit directly under the main statement, outside the reference block. If Wikidata warns that point in time is not allowed “as reference,” remove it from the reference and add it again using add qualifier on the statement.

A flag suggesting inception or service entry is a completeness suggestion, not a reason to guess a date. Leave unsupported facts unset. The qualifier guide explains how dates and other context attach to statements.

Your edit becomes public on Wikidata when you publish it. Open Waters AIS reads a local copy refreshed weekly, so supported changes are not immediate. If the vessel has no IMO, the current importer will not pick it up yet. If a fact comes from a registry, follow that registry’s correction process; changing Wikidata will not override it here.

Return to the vessel map →