Knowledge Graph ID (KGMID)

A Knowledge Graph ID, often called a KGMID or machine ID (MID), is the unique identifier Google uses for an entity in its Knowledge Graph. It looks like /m/0dl567 or /g/11b.... Having one is a strong sign that Google recognises your brand, person or product as a distinct thing, separate from any keyword string.

How it works

Older IDs starting with /m/ come from Freebase, the open database Google acquired and later shut down; newer ones start with /g/. The same ID appears in several Google tools:

• The Knowledge Graph Search API returns it as "@id": "kg:/m/0dl567", alongside the entity name, types, description and a resultScore.
• The Google Cloud Natural Language API returns a mid in an entity’s metadata when the entity is linked to the Knowledge Graph, often with a Wikipedia URL.
• Google Trends uses the same IDs for topics, so you can query a topic instead of a search term.
• Wikidata records them under property P2671, Google Knowledge Graph ID.

You can also view an entity directly by adding kgmid=/m/... as a parameter to a Google search URL.

How it’s used in SEO and marketing

• Checking in an entity audit whether your brand and key people have a KGMID at all.
• Confirming that the entity an NLP API detects on your page is the right one, not a namesake (see entity disambiguation).
• Tracking topics in Google Trends without the noise of ambiguous strings.
• Referencing your entity consistently across schema, Wikidata and other profiles.

Example

In MLforSEO’s PyTrends guide, a 2021 lookup returned the entity /m/0hmyfsv as “Facebook, Social networking service company”. Run the same code today and the same ID comes back as Meta, technology company. Entities survive rebrands; keyword strings don’t.

Limitations and things to watch

• No KGMID does not mean no visibility, and having one does not guarantee a knowledge panel.
• The resultScore reflects how well an entity matched your query. Use it to compare candidates for the same query rather than as an absolute authority rating.
• Google says the Knowledge Graph Search API is not suitable as a production-critical service, and it is being transitioned to Cloud Enterprise Knowledge Graph.
• IDs can be merged or change their description over time. Re-check periodically.

Learn it on MLforSEO

• How to Audit Entity Structure in Modern Search
• The Ultimate Guide to PyTrends: the Google Trends API
• What Is a Knowledge Graph? How to Use It for Smarter Keyword Strategy
• AI Search & LLMs: Entity SEO and Knowledge Graph Strategies for Brands course, lesson on interrogating Google’s Knowledge Graph.
• The AI-powered Entity Audit course