Schema Markup

Schema markup is structured code that describes webpage content for machines. Most SEO schema uses Schema.org vocabulary. Schema.org currently lists 823 Types, but Google rich results use selected Search feature guides, not the whole Schema.org vocabulary.

Key Takeaways

• Schema markup labels page facts in a machine-readable form.
• Schema.org is the vocabulary. JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa are formats.
• Schema.org has 823 Types. Google rich results use a smaller feature-specific set.
• Valid Schema.org markup does not guarantee a Google rich result.
• Markup must match visible page content and Google’s structured data rules.

What Is Schema Markup?

Schema markup is structured data added to a webpage. It tells machines what the page contains, such as an article, product, business, recipe, event, video, person, or place.

The visible page comes first. The markup labels what is already there.

If a page shows a title, author, date, price, address, image, rating, or recipe time, schema can mark those facts. If the page does not show a fact, the markup should not add it.

Google defines structured data as a standardized format for giving information about a page and classifying page content. Google also says structured data describes the content of the page it appears on, and warns against adding structured data for information users cannot see.

Schema.org Types, Properties, and Entities

Schema.org describes entities through Types and Properties. A Type says what the entity is. A Property says something about it.

Item	Meaning
Entity	The thing being described
Type	The class of thing, such as Recipe, Product, or Organization
Property	A detail about the thing, such as name, image, or datePublished

For a recipe page, Recipe is the Type. name, author, recipeIngredient, cookTime, and nutrition are Properties. The actual recipe is the entity.

Schema.org says its schemas are sets of Types, each linked with Properties, and arranged in a hierarchy. Its current vocabulary has 823 Types, 1,529 Properties, 19 Datatypes, 96 Enumerations, and 535 Enumeration members.

That is the vocabulary size. It is not the number of Google rich results.

Schema.org Types vs Google Rich Result Features

Schema.org Types and Google rich result features are different things. Schema.org is the broad vocabulary for describing entities on the web. Google rich result features are selected Search appearances that may use structured data.

Wrong:

Google supports 35 schema types.

Better:

Google documents a smaller set of rich result feature guides. Depending on whether shopping subfeatures, deprecated entries, and testing-only features are counted, this layer is often counted around 35 feature guides. It is not 35 Schema.org Types.

Google’s structured data gallery lists supported features such as Article, Breadcrumb, Carousel, Course list, Dataset, Discussion forum, Education Q&A, Event, Job posting, Local business, Organization, Product, Recipe, Review snippet, Video, and others. The same page says actual appearance in search results might be different.

Keep the split clear:

Layer	What it means
Schema.org Type	A vocabulary class, such as Product, Recipe, or Organization
Google rich result feature	A Google Search display feature that may use structured data

A page can contain valid Schema.org markup and still have no Google rich result.

Structured Data Formats

Structured data can be written as JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa. Google supports all three formats for rich result eligibility and recommends JSON-LD.

Format	Where it sits	Plain meaning
JSON-LD	In a script block	Structured data kept apart from visible HTML
Microdata	Inside HTML elements	Structured data mixed into page HTML
RDFa	Inside HTML attributes	Linked-data attributes added to HTML

Schema.org is the vocabulary. JSON-LD, Microdata, and RDFa are ways to write it.

From Page Content to Schema Markup

Schema markup should start with visible content. First name the main entity. Then choose the matching Schema.org Type. Then map visible facts to Properties.

Use a recipe page as the example:

Visible recipe fact	Schema.org Property
Recipe name	name
Author	author
Ingredients	recipeIngredient
Cooking time	cookTime
Calories	nutrition.calories
Image	image
Instructions	recipeInstructions

Google’s own structured data introduction uses a recipe example to show how JSON-LD can describe recipe facts such as title, author, ingredients, cook time, calories, and instructions.

The rule is strict: mark up facts the user can see. Do not add a rating, price, author, date, or business detail only because a schema template has a field for it.

Google Rich Result Features

Google rich result features are enhanced Search appearances that use supported structured data. They are a Google Search feature set, not the full Schema.org vocabulary.

Google’s gallery includes features across content, navigation, commerce, local business, jobs, education, media, and access policy. Examples include Article, Breadcrumb, Event, Job posting, Local business, Organization, Product, Recipe, Review snippet, Software app, Vacation rental, and Video.

Treat any feature count as a dated audit note. Google’s gallery page was last updated on 2026-06-15 UTC.

Valid Markup vs Rich Result Eligibility

Valid markup and rich result eligibility answer different questions. Valid markup means the structured data uses the vocabulary correctly. Rich result eligibility means Google can consider the page for a supported Search feature.

The two checks can disagree without either tool being wrong.

Result	Meaning
Schema Markup Validator passes	The markup can be valid Schema.org.
Rich Results Test shows no rich result	Google may not support that markup as a visible Search feature.

Google says structured data can enable a feature, but it does not guarantee that the feature will appear. Google also lists reasons display may not happen, including misleading markup, hidden content, incorrect data, and search-result context.

Rich Result Requirements

A page needs more than valid syntax to qualify for a rich result. The markup must match Google’s format, access, content, and quality rules.

Check these before expecting a rich result:

1. The page is crawlable.
2. The markup uses JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa.
3. The page matches a Google-supported feature.
4. Required Properties are present.
5. Recommended Properties are added only when real.
6. Markup matches visible content.
7. Images used in markup are crawlable and relevant.
8. Reviews, ratings, prices, dates, and availability are not fake.
9. The page follows Google’s general and feature-specific structured data guidelines.

Google says hidden, irrelevant, misleading, or deceptive structured data can prevent rich result display or cause a spam classification. Google also says missing required Properties makes items ineligible for rich results.

Entity Markup Without Rich Results

Some schema markup describes identity without creating a visible rich result. This includes Organization, Person, WebSite, WebPage, BreadcrumbList, and sameAs.

This markup can state:

• the organization name;
• the official URL;
• the logo;
• external identity profiles through sameAs;
• page position through BreadcrumbList;
• page identity through WebPage.

Do not turn this into a ranking claim. The safe claim is narrower: entity markup states identity and relationships in structured data.

Schema Markup Testing and Monitoring

Test schema before publishing. Monitor it after Google crawls the page.

Tool	What it checks
Rich Results Test	Which Google rich results can be generated from the structured data
Schema Markup Validator	Whether broader Schema.org markup is valid
URL Inspection	What Google sees for one URL
Search Console rich result reports	Structured data validity found on the site

Google’s Rich Results Test says it tests a publicly accessible page to see which rich results can be generated by its structured data.

The Rich Results Test supports JSON-LD, RDFa, and Microdata.

Google Structured Data Support Changes

Google can change structured data support. That is why schema strategy should not depend on one visual Search feature.

FAQ rich results are the clean example. Google’s documentation updates say the FAQ rich result feature is no longer shown in Google Search results, and the FAQ rich result documentation was removed in June 2026.

That change does not mean all structured data is dead. It means one Google display feature changed.

The safer rule is: keep schema accurate, check Google feature documentation before publishing, and treat rich results as conditional Search appearances.

What Schema Markup Cannot Control

Schema markup cannot make all 823 Schema.org Types appear as Google rich results. It cannot guarantee rankings, force enhanced display, fix thin content, or make hidden content eligible.

Use schema markup to:

Use schema to	Do not use schema to
Label the main entity	Invent hidden facts
State page structure	Force a rich result
Mark eligible page facts	Promise rankings
Identify organizations, products, pages, or recipes	Fake reviews or ratings
Help machines read visible facts	Repair weak content

Google says structured data display is not guaranteed even when markup is correct. Google also says a structured data manual action removes rich result eligibility but does not affect how the page ranks in Google web search.

Use schema markup when the page has visible facts, a clear entity, a fitting Schema.org Type, and either a Google-supported rich result purpose or a non-display identity purpose.