Apple Wallet semantic tags for boarding passes and events

Traditional Wallet fields tell the system where text appears. Semantic tags tell the system what a value means—a flight number, venue, performer, seat, departure location, or another recognized concept. Wallet can use that meaning for system experiences and evolving layouts without depending on your field labels.

Semantics complement rather than replace visual fields. Keep a clear field hierarchy so the pass remains useful on OS versions and layouts that do not consume a particular semantic tag.

Boarding-pass semantics should reflect the actual journey and transit mode. Supply structured origin and destination information, carrier and trip identifiers, times, boarding details, and seat information only when they are known and correct. Do not force an airline concept onto train or bus data merely because the field names look similar.

Pair machine-readable dates, airport or station codes, and transit-specific identifiers with concise visible fields. Test missed, delayed, overnight, and timezone-crossing journeys rather than only a same-day happy path.

Event semantics can describe the event, venue, performer or participant, start and end times, and seating details. Match the tag set to the actual event category. A concert, sporting event, conference, and screening may share visible labels while needing different semantic concepts.

Use semantic data to clarify rather than duplicate. The visible event title still belongs in a prominent field; the semantic entry gives Wallet structured context for supported experiences.

Semantic tag catalogs evolve with Wallet releases. Check the platform version associated with each tag, use the documented value shape, and omit unsupported or unknown guesses. Invalid semantics should not be allowed to compromise an otherwise valid pass.

Test with and without semantic rendering. A person should still understand the pass from the classic fields, barcode, artwork, and back information. That fallback discipline makes the pass resilient across devices and future system changes.