The quality and interoperability of metadata are essential for connecting research outputs, people, organizations, and infrastructures across the scholarly record. As a project partner in the PID Network Germany project, DataCite addresses this need by bringing together stakeholders from research and cultural heritage sectors to strengthen the adoption, standardization, and practical implementation of persistent identifier (PID) systems in Germany. As part of this work, pilot implementations with LMU Munich and Technical University Dortmund explore how community-informed metadata guidance can