Return Policy Markup (MerchantReturnPolicy) Explained

Return policy markup (MerchantReturnPolicy) is structured data that describes a store’s return conditions in a machine-readable way. Google can show these details alongside products and in knowledge panels.

How does return policy markup work?

The markup works on two levels. At the organization level it is attached through hasMerchantReturnPolicy and describes the default policy for most products. At the offer level it can override that default for a single product, with a more limited set of properties.

Google requires one of two combinations. The first is applicableCountry (up to 50 countries, ISO 3166-1) together with returnPolicyCategory. The second is merchantReturnLink, a URL to the policy page. The category takes one of three values: MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow, which requires merchantReturnDays, MerchantReturnNotPermitted and MerchantReturnUnlimitedWindow. Further properties include returnMethod and returnFees.

Several sources can define a policy, and Google applies them in a fixed order of precedence: the Content API for Shopping first, then settings in Merchant Center or Search Console, then product-level markup, then organization-level markup. Google added return and shipping settings to Search Console in November 2025 (reported by ProductRise; secondary), so a store can configure a policy without Merchant Center.

The markup must state the policy the store actually honors.

Example

JSON

{
  "@type": "MerchantReturnPolicy",
  "applicableCountry": "DE",
  "returnPolicyCategory": "https://schema.org/MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow",
  "merchantReturnDays": 30,
  "returnMethod": "https://schema.org/ReturnByMail",
  "returnFees": "https://schema.org/FreeReturn"
}

Common mistakes

Missing merchantReturnDays. With the category MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow, the number of days is required.
returnShippingFeesAmount with free returns. Google says the property applies only when returnFees is ReturnShippingFees. With FreeReturn it should be left out.
Spreading the policy across pages. Google recommends placing return information on a single page that describes the business policy.

FAQ

Do I have to state the return policy on my website too? Google’s Merchant Center help advises adding return policy information to your website so it can show next to your products. The markup complements the visible policy page, and the two must match.

Sources

Merchant return policy structured data – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
Free listings for products – Merchant Center Helpsupport.google.com
Google Adds Shipping and Return Policy to GSC – ProductRise (secondary)productrise.app
Shopify schema markup – Naughton and Bird (secondary)naughtonandbird.com

Last updated: October 8, 2026