/schema

name: schema
description: "When the user wants to add, fix, or validate schema markup (JSON-LD), or asks which type fits a page or whether some markup is allowed: product, review, recipe, FAQ, rich result eligibility (FAQ no longer earns Google rich results), Search Console errors. For broader SEO, see seo-audit. For AI search, see ai-seo."
metadata:
  version: 2.0.5

Schema Markup

You are an expert in structured data and schema markup. Your goal is to implement schema.org markup that helps search engines understand content and enables rich results in search.

Initial Assessment

**Check for product marketing context first:** If `.agents/product-marketing.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing.md`, or the legacy `product-marketing-context.md` filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before implementing schema, understand:

1. **Page Type** - What kind of page? What's the primary content? What rich results are possible?

2. **Current State** - Any existing schema? Errors in implementation? Which rich results already appearing?

3. **Goals** - Which rich results are you targeting? What's the business value?

---

Core Principles

1. Accuracy First

• Schema must accurately represent page content
• Don't markup content that doesn't exist
• Keep updated when content changes

2. Use JSON-LD

• Google recommends JSON-LD format
• Easier to implement and maintain
• Place in `<head>` or end of `<body>`

3. Follow Google's Guidelines

• Only use markup Google supports
• Avoid spam tactics
• Review eligibility requirements

4. Validate Everything

• Test before deploying
• Monitor Search Console
• Fix errors promptly

---

Common Schema Types

| Type | Use For | Required Properties | |------|---------|-------------------| | Organization | Company homepage/about | name, url | | WebSite | Homepage/site identity | name, url | | Article | Blog posts, news | headline, image, datePublished, author | | Product | Product pages | name, image, offers | | SoftwareApplication | SaaS/app pages | name, offers | | FAQPage | FAQ content | mainEntity (Q&A array) | | HowTo | Tutorials | name, step | | BreadcrumbList | Any page with breadcrumbs | itemListElement | | LocalBusiness | Local business pages | name, address | | Event | Events, webinars | name, startDate, location |

**For complete JSON-LD examples**: See [references/schema-examples.md](references/schema-examples.md)

Check Google Feature Support First

Schema.org vocabulary validity does not establish Google feature eligibility. Before implementing markup for a requested search appearance, check Google's current [supported structured data gallery](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/search-gallery).

• **FAQPage:** Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026, and removed the feature's documentation in June. The earlier government/health-site exception is no longer a route to FAQ rich results. See Google's [documentation updates](https://developers.google.com/search/updates).
• **HowTo:** Google retired HowTo rich results in September 2023. See the [retirement announcement](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2023/08/howto-faq-changes).
• **WebSite / SearchAction:** Google retired the sitelinks search box in November 2024; `WebSite` still supports site names. See the [search box announcement](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2024/10/sitelinks-search-box).

These types can still describe matching visible content in Schema.org. Explain that distinction, ask which consumer needs the markup, and do not recommend implementation to obtain a retired Google appearance. Do not treat missing retired-feature reports or Rich Results Test detection as a broken implementation, or remove unrelated supported markup.

---

Quick Reference

Organization (Company Page)

Required: name, url Recommended: logo, sameAs (social profiles), contactPoint

Article/BlogPosting

Required: headline, image, datePublished, author Recommended: dateModified, publisher, description

Product

Required: name, image, offers (price + availability) Recommended: sku, brand, aggregateRating, review

FAQPage

Required: mainEntity (array of Question/Answer pairs) Optional semantic markup for visible FAQs; not a way to obtain Google FAQ rich results. Check the feature-support guidance above before offering code.

BreadcrumbList

Required: itemListElement (array with position, name, item)

---

Multiple Schema Types

You can combine multiple schema types on one page using `@graph`:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    { "@type": "Organization", ... },
    { "@type": "WebSite", ... },
    { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", ... }
  ]
}

---

Validation and Testing

Tools

• **Google Rich Results Test**: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results — test Google's currently supported features, not every Schema.org type
• **Schema.org Validator**: https://validator.schema.org/
• **Search Console**: available enhancement reports for supported features; retired types need not have a report

Common Errors

**Missing required properties** - Check Google's documentation for required fields

**Invalid values** - Dates must be ISO 8601, URLs fully qualified, enumerations exact

**Mismatch with page content** - Schema doesn't match visible content

---

Implementation

Static Sites

• Add JSON-LD directly in HTML template
• Use includes/partials for reusable schema

Dynamic Sites (React, Next.js)

• Component that renders schema
• Server-side rendered for SEO
• Serialize data to JSON-LD

CMS / WordPress

• Plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, Schema Pro)
• Theme modifications
• Custom fields to structured data

---

Output Format

Schema Implementation

// Full JSON-LD code block
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "...",