Rich snippets are search results that show more than title, URL, and description, for example star ratings, prices, or images. Google introduced rich snippets in 2009 and now calls them rich results in its documentation. The two terms are used almost interchangeably in SEO, and rich snippets is the older one.
How do rich snippets come about?
They are based on structured data on the page, usually JSON-LD with the schema.org vocabulary. Google uses it to understand the content and show it in a richer appearance. Correct markup makes a page eligible, but it does not guarantee the display. Google notes that the actual appearance in results might differ.
The gallery of supported features in Google’s documentation shows which types exist, among them Article, Breadcrumb, Event, Product, Recipe, Job posting, Review snippet, and Video. Google also removes features. The documentation updates page, for instance, records that FAQ rich results no longer appear in Google Search since May 7, 2026. The FAQPage vocabulary on schema.org continues to exist. Checking the current gallery is part of working with this topic.
Example
A product with rating and price:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Alpina hiking boot",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.6",
"reviewCount": "128"
},
"offers": {
"@type": "Offer",
"price": "129.00",
"priceCurrency": "USD"
}
}
</script>
The Rich Results Test shows whether Google can generate a rich result from this markup.
Common mistakes
- Expecting a rich snippet from FAQ markup. According to Google, FAQ rich results no longer appear in Search since May 7, 2026.
- Markup that does not match the visible page. Google asks for markup of visible, relevant content only.
- Missing required properties. Without all required properties an item is not eligible for the richer appearance.
- Expecting a guarantee. Even correctly marked-up pages do not automatically get stars or a price in the result.
FAQ
What is a rich snippet? A search result with additional details taken from structured data, such as stars or a price.
How can I test a rich snippet? With Google’s Rich Results Test. It reports which rich results the markup on a page can produce.
Sources
- Structured data markup supported by Google Search (search gallery) - Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Introduction to structured data markup - Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Documentation updates - Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Introducing Rich Snippets – Google Search Central Blog (May 12, 2009)developers.google.com
- General structured data guidelines – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
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