GBIF will be working with holders of natural history specimens and datasets to make it as easy to share data as possible. Data providers can easily join the network by using free software provided and supported by GBIF. See Become a data provider for information. The data remain with the institutions that assemble the data; GBIF does not claim ownership of any of the data.

GBIF's eventual goal is to provide easy-to-use search engines that will access all kinds of biodiversity data, from genes to species to ecosystems. It has started by focusing on species-occurrence data based on collections and observations of the world’s plants, animals and micro-organisms. These data are provided by the natural history museums, herbaria, botanical gardens, bird-banding societies, culture collections and other such institutions that house the specimens and maintain the data sets.

The GBIF network makes it possible for users to search the data of many providers at once. Soon, it will be interlinked with several other networks, all of which will be searchable via GBIF.