diff --git a/swh/deposit/parsers.py b/swh/deposit/parsers.py
--- a/swh/deposit/parsers.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/parsers.py
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@
             "http://purl.org/dc/terms/": None,
             "https://doi.org/10.5063/SCHEMA/CODEMETA-2.0": "codemeta",
             "http://purl.org/net/sword/": "sword",
+            "https://www.softwareheritage.org/schema/2018/deposit": "swh",
         }
 
         data = xmltodict.parse(
diff --git a/swh/deposit/tests/test_utils.py b/swh/deposit/tests/test_utils.py
--- a/swh/deposit/tests/test_utils.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/tests/test_utils.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2018-2019  The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2020  The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 import pytest
 
 from swh.deposit import utils
+from swh.deposit.parsers import parse_xml
+from swh.deposit.utils import read_swh_object_reference
+from swh.model.identifiers import parse_swhid
 
 
 def test_merge():
@@ -139,3 +142,93 @@
     expected_date = "2017-01-01 00:00:00+00:00"
 
     assert str(actual_date) == expected_date
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def xml_with_origin_reference():
+    xml_data = """<?xml version="1.0"?>
+  <entry xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
+           xmlns:codemeta="https://doi.org/10.5063/SCHEMA/CODEMETA-2.0"
+           xmlns:swh="https://www.softwareheritage.org/schema/2018/deposit">
+      <swh:deposit>
+        <swh:reference>
+          <swh:origin url="{url}"/>
+        </swh:reference>
+      </swh:deposit>
+  </entry>
+    """
+    return xml_data.strip()
+
+
+def test_read_swh_reference_origin(xml_with_origin_reference):
+    url = "https://url"
+    xml_data = xml_with_origin_reference.format(url=url)
+    metadata = parse_xml(xml_data)
+
+    actual_origin = read_swh_object_reference(metadata)
+    assert actual_origin == url
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def xml_with_empty_reference():
+    xml_data = """<?xml version="1.0"?>
+  <entry xmlns:swh="https://www.softwareheritage.org/schema/2018/deposit">
+      <swh:deposit>
+        {swh_reference}
+      </swh:deposit>
+  </entry>
+    """
+    return xml_data.strip()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "xml_ref",
+    [
+        "",
+        "<swh:reference></swh:reference>",
+        "<swh:reference><swh:object /></swh:reference>",
+        """<swh:reference><swh:object swhid="" /></swh:reference>""",
+    ],
+)
+def test_read_swh_reference_empty(xml_with_empty_reference, xml_ref):
+    xml_body = xml_with_empty_reference.format(swh_reference=xml_ref)
+    metadata = parse_xml(xml_body)
+
+    assert read_swh_object_reference(metadata) is None
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def xml_with_swhid():
+    xml_data = """<?xml version="1.0"?>
+  <entry xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
+           xmlns:codemeta="https://doi.org/10.5063/SCHEMA/CODEMETA-2.0"
+           xmlns:swh="https://www.softwareheritage.org/schema/2018/deposit">
+      <swh:deposit>
+        <swh:reference>
+          <swh:object swhid="{swhid}" />
+        </swh:reference>
+      </swh:deposit>
+  </entry>
+    """
+    return xml_data.strip()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "swhid",
+    [
+        # """swh:1:dir:31b5c8cc985d190b5a7ef4878128ebfdc2358f49;
+        # origin=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01243573;
+        # visit=swh:1:snp:4fc1e36fca86b2070204bedd51106014a614f321;
+        # anchor=swh:1:rev:9c5de20cfb54682370a398fcc733e829903c8cba;
+        # path=/moranegg-AffectationRO-df7f68b/""",
+        "swh:1:dir:31b5c8cc985d190b5a7ef4878128ebfdc2358f49"
+    ],
+)
+def test_read_swh_reference_swhid(swhid, xml_with_swhid):
+    xml_data = xml_with_swhid.format(swhid=swhid)
+    metadata = parse_xml(xml_data)
+
+    actual_swhid = read_swh_object_reference(metadata)
+    assert actual_swhid is not None
+
+    assert actual_swhid == parse_swhid(swhid)
diff --git a/swh/deposit/utils.py b/swh/deposit/utils.py
--- a/swh/deposit/utils.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/utils.py
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
-# Copyright (C) 2018-2019 The Software Heritage developers
+# Copyright (C) 2018-2020 The Software Heritage developers
 # See the AUTHORS file at the top-level directory of this distribution
 # License: GNU General Public License version 3, or any later version
 # See top-level LICENSE file for more information
 
 from types import GeneratorType
+from typing import Dict, Optional, Union
 
 import iso8601
 
-from swh.model.identifiers import normalize_timestamp
+from swh.model.identifiers import SWHID, normalize_timestamp, parse_swhid
 
 
 def merge(*dicts):
@@ -81,3 +82,49 @@
         date = iso8601.parse_date(date)
 
     return normalize_timestamp(date)
+
+
+def read_swh_object_reference(metadata: Dict) -> Optional[Union[str, SWHID]]:
+    """Returns a deposit swhid (or origin) reference if found, None otherwise.
+
+    <swh:deposit>
+      <swh:reference>
+        <swh:origin url='https://github.com/user/repo'/>
+      </swh:reference>
+    </swh:deposit>
+
+    or:
+
+    <swh:deposit>
+      <swh:reference>
+        <swh:object swhid="swh:1:dir:31b5c8cc985d190b5a7ef4878128ebfdc2358f49;
+                           origin=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01243573;
+                           visit=swh:1:snp:4fc1e36fca86b2070204bedd51106014a614f321;
+                           anchor=swh:1:rev:9c5de20cfb54682370a398fcc733e829903c8cba;
+                           path=/moranegg-AffectationRO-df7f68b/"
+      />
+    </swh:deposit>
+
+    """
+    swh_deposit = metadata.get("swh:deposit")
+    if not swh_deposit:
+        return None
+
+    swh_reference = swh_deposit.get("swh:reference")
+    if not swh_reference:
+        return None
+
+    swh_origin = swh_reference.get("swh:origin")
+    if swh_origin:
+        url = swh_origin.get("@url")
+        if url:
+            return url
+
+    swh_object = swh_reference.get("swh:object")
+    if not swh_object:
+        return None
+
+    swhid = swh_object.get("@swhid")
+    if not swhid:
+        return None
+    return parse_swhid(swhid)