A mechanism is disclosed for providing a user's web service provider's (WSP's) access information to a web service consumer (WSC). In one embodiment, a directory service provider (DSP) receives, from a WSC, a request for a particular user's WSP access information. The request contains identifying information that is associated with the particular user. A repository indicates, for each user, an associated user characteristic. Each user characteristic is associated with a separate template object that indicates one or more WSP instances' access information. In response to receiving the request, the DSP determines, from the repository, the user characteristic that is associated with the particular user. The DSP sends, in a response to the WSC's request, the one or more WSP instances' access information that is indicated in the template object that is associated with the particular user's associated user characteristic. The WSC may use the WSP access information to direct a query to a particular WSP.