What is structured data? Schema.org and JSON-LD explained

Structured data is a standardized, machine-readable format for providing information about a page and classifying its content, for example a product's name, price and availability. Search engines use it to understand the page and, in some cases, to show it as a rich result.

How it works

Structured data has two parts: a vocabulary that names things and their properties, and a format for writing it into the page.

  • Vocabulary: most structured data on the web uses schema.org, a collaborative project founded by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex. Its Product type, for example, covers “any offered product or service.”
  • Format: Google Search supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. It recommends JSON-LD where your setup allows it, because the markup sits in its own script block rather than being woven into the visible HTML, which makes it easier to maintain at scale.

Example

A hypothetical product page selling a lamp for USD 49 could include a JSON-LD block that declares a Product with its name, image and description, plus an Offer with the price 49.00, the currency USD and the availability “in stock.” The shopper sees nothing different, but a search engine now knows exactly which number on the page is the price.

Why it matters for an online store

Structured data can make a page eligible for rich results, such as product listings that show price and availability in search. Google is explicit that there is no guarantee: it does not promise that structured data will appear in search results, even when the markup is correct, because it tailors each results page to the user. Google also notes that schema.org markup beyond what Google Search uses may be useful to other search engines, services, tools and platforms.

Common mistakes

  • Marking up content visitors cannot see. Google's guidelines say not to add structured data about information that is not visible to the user, even if it is accurate.
  • Markup that does not match the page. Structured data should describe the page as visitors see it. A price in the JSON-LD that differs from the visible price misleads both shoppers and search engines.
  • Missing required properties. Each rich result type has required properties. For Google's behavior, Google's documentation is definitive, not schema.org's.
  • Not testing after launch. Check markup with the Rich Results Test while building, then watch the rich result status reports in Search Console, because templates can break it later.

CIQRA generates structured data (JSON-LD) for products, prices, shipping and returns on online stores, and for the organization, pages, FAQs and blog on company websites.

Related terms

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