This course builds on the foundational SHACL knowledge and dives into the more powerful and expressive features of the Shape Constraint Language. It is intended for learners who are already comfortable with RDF, SPARQL, and the core SHACL components such as targets, node shapes, and basic constraints. Make sure you are familiar with the core concepts like targets, core constraints, and the general SHACL architecture. If not, visit our SHACL foundational course!

In this course, we explore how to go beyond simple validations by combining constraints using logical operators, navigating complex graph structures with property paths, and configuring custom validation behavior. You will also learn how to work with qualified value shapes, interpret and manage validation results, and write SPARQL-based constraints for advanced use cases. We also look at how SHACL can be used beyond validation, for example, in data modeling, documentation, and quality assurance workflows.

These advanced SHACL constructs allow you to model complex validation logic, enforce nuanced business rules, and gain fine-grained control over how RDF data is interpreted and validated. Whether you're working on large-scale knowledge graphs or integrating heterogeneous data sources, this course equips you with the tools to ensure your data is not only valid,but meaningful and reliable.

⌨️ This course contains interactive exercises in our web-based RDF editor!