# Structured data

Category: [Structured Data & SERP Features](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/structured-data-serp-features/) › [Basics & formats](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/structured-data-serp-features/basics-formats/) · Also known as: schema markup, schema.org markup

**Structured data** in SEO is machine-readable code on a page that states what the page is about, for example a product with its price, a recipe, or an event. Search engines use it to classify content, and Google uses it to show some results as rich results with extra details.

## How does structured data work?

Most markup uses the **schema.org** vocabulary, a shared set of types and properties started by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex and developed in an open community process. Google accepts three formats and recommends JSON-LD as the easiest to implement and maintain:

- **JSON-LD:** a separate script block, independent of the visible HTML
- **Microdata:** attributes added to existing HTML elements
- **RDFa:** another attribute-based syntax, originating in the Semantic Web community

For how Google Search uses markup, Google's own documentation is the reference, not schema.org. Many schema.org types have no visible effect in Google Search.

## Google's rules

Markup has to describe content that users can see on the page. Google says not to create empty pages just to hold structured data. Valid markup doesn't guarantee a rich result. If markup violates the guidelines, Google can issue a manual action that removes the page's eligibility for rich results.

## Example

A product in JSON-LD:

```html
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Trail Runner 4 Hiking Shoe",
  "image": "https://www.example.com/img/trail-runner-4.jpg",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "129.00",
    "priceCurrency": "USD",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  }
}
</script>
```

## Which rich results has Google dropped?

Google has reduced the number of supported types over the past few years:

- **HowTo:** documentation removed in September 2023 because the result was no longer shown.
- **Course info, estimated salary, learning video, special announcement, vehicle listing:** documentation removed on September 9, 2025.
- **Practice problem and dataset:** phased out of Google Search results from November 2025.
- **FAQ:** no longer shown in Google Search since May 7, 2026; the documentation was removed in June 2026.

Guides that still recommend FAQ markup to win rich results are out of date. Types such as article, breadcrumb, product, recipe, review snippet, event, job posting, local business, and video remain in Google's search gallery.

## Common mistakes

All points come from Google's general structured data guidelines.

- **Marking up hidden content.** Markup may only describe content that readers can see on the page.
- **Missing required properties.** Items that lack the properties Google lists as required for a rich result type aren't eligible for rich results.
- **Blocking pages with markup.** Pages with structured data must not be blocked for Googlebot with robots.txt, `noindex`, or any other access control.
- **Outdated information.** Google doesn't show a rich result for time-sensitive content that is no longer relevant.
- **Misleading markup.** Fake reviews or data unrelated to the page content violate the guidelines and can lead to a manual action.

## FAQ

**How do I test structured data?**
Google's Rich Results Test shows which Google features a page is eligible for. The Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org checks markup against the schema.org vocabulary without Google-specific rules. After launch, Search Console has a report for each rich result type it detects.

**What is the difference between structured and unstructured data?**
In data management, structured data sits in fixed fields, as in tables or databases, while unstructured data is free text, images, or audio. In SEO, "structured data" refers specifically to markup that describes page content for search engines.

## At a glance

- **Format:** JSON-LD (recommended), Microdata, RDFa
- **Where:** in the HTML of the page the markup describes
- **Vocabulary:** schema.org
- **Rich result:** possible, not guaranteed
- **Test with:** Rich Results Test, Schema Markup Validator
- **Docs:** [Introduction to structured data markup](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/intro-structured-data)

Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Structured data formats compared

| Format | Where does the markup go? | Relation to visible content | Google's position |
|---|---|---|---|
| JSON-LD | in a <script type="application/ld+json"> in the <head> or <body> | separate from the visible text; nested data is easy to express | recommended as easiest to implement and maintain at scale, less prone to user errors; also read when injected with JavaScript |
| Microdata | as attributes on HTML elements, usually in the <body>, also possible in the <head> | nested within the HTML content | supported; equally fine for Google as long as the markup is valid and implemented per the documentation |
| RDFa | as attributes on HTML elements, in the <head> and <body> | attributes on elements with user-visible content | supported; equally fine for Google as long as the markup is valid and implemented per the documentation |

Sources: [Google Search Central: Introduction to structured data markup in Google Search (last updated 2025-12-10)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/intro-structured-data); [schema.org: Data model](https://schema.org/docs/datamodel.html). Last checked: October 8, 2026

## Related terms

- [Schema.org](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/schema-org/index.md)
- [JSON-LD](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/json-ld/index.md)
- [Microdata](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/microdata/index.md)
- [RDFa](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/rdfa/index.md)
- [Rich results](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/rich-results/index.md)
- [Knowledge Graph](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/knowledge-graph/index.md)

## More on the searchVIU blog

- [Schema Markup and AI in 2025: What ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity & Gemini Really See](https://www.searchviu.com/en/schema-markup-and-ai-in-2025-what-chatgpt-claude-perplexity-gemini-really-see/)

## Sources

- [Introduction to structured data markup in Google Search – Google Search Central (updated Dec 10, 2025)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/intro-structured-data)
- [General structured data guidelines – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/sd-policies)
- [Structured data markup that Google Search supports (search gallery) – Google Search Central (updated 2026-06-15)](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/search-gallery)
- [Latest Google Search documentation updates (FAQ May/June 2026, removed types Sep 2025, HowTo Sep 2023) – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/updates)
- [About Schema.org](https://schema.org/docs/about.html)
- [Schema Markup Validator](https://validator.schema.org/)

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Last updated: October 8, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/structured-data/