Most users of the internet retrieve data by ‘clicking on a link’. This is a high-level interface to a low-level protocol called tcp, that the computer executes to load data in the user’s web browser. (Note that http(s) or ftp, which form the backbone of modern internet, are built on tcp, and make requesting and providing digital resources substantially easier than other communication protocols.) Principle A1 states that FAIR data retrieval should be mediated without specialised or proprietary tools or communication methods. This principle focuses on how data and metadata can be retrieved from their identifiers*.