ISO 19118:2011 specifies the requirements for defining encoding rules for use for the interchange of data that conform to the geographic information in the set of International Standards known as the "ISO 19100 series".

ISO 19118:2011 specifies requirements for creating encoding rules based on UML schemas, requirements for creating encoding services, and requirements for XML-based encoding rules for neutral interchange of data.

ISO 19118:2011 does not specify any digital media, does not define any transfer services or transfer protocols, nor does it specify how to encode inline large images.