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What Is Schema Markup? A Plain-English Guide to JSON-LD

Published 28 October 2026 · 7 min read

When people look at a web page, they understand at once that “€14.90” is a price and “Mon–Fri 9–18” are opening hours. Search engines have to guess. Schema markup, also called structured data, removes the guessing: it’s a short piece of code that states the facts of a page in a format every major search engine understands.

This guide explains what schema markup is, what it can and can’t do, which type fits which page, and how to add it with the free Schema Markup Generator, without writing code yourself.

What schema markup looks like

Schema markup uses a shared vocabulary from schema.org, supported by Google, Bing, Yahoo and Yandex. The recommended way to write it is JSON-LD: a small block of code that sits in the page’s HTML and is invisible to visitors. Here is a complete example for a product:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Blue Ceramic Mug",
  "image": "https://example.com/mug.jpg",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": "14.90",
    "priceCurrency": "EUR",
    "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
  }
}
</script>

Each line is a plain fact: this is a Product, it’s called “Blue Ceramic Mug”, it costs 14.90 euros and it’s in stock. Google also accepts two older formats, Microdata and RDFa, which are mixed into the visible HTML. JSON-LD is the one Google recommends, because it’s separate from the design and easy to add, change and check.

What schema markup does for your site

  • Rich results. Search results can show extra details taken from the markup, such as star ratings, prices, stock, event dates or a breadcrumb trail instead of a long address. These stand out and often get more clicks.
  • Clear understanding. Search engines and AI assistants know for certain who you are, what you sell, where you are and when you open, instead of guessing from the page text.
  • Special search features. Some features depend on it entirely, for example job listings in Google’s job search, or your site name and logo shown in results.

What it doesn’t do: structured data is not a direct ranking factor, and it doesn’t guarantee rich results. Correct markup makes a page eligible; Google decides what to show.

Which schema type for which page?

Pick the type that describes the main content of the page. These are the ten types the generator covers:

  • FAQ: a page with a list of questions and answers.
  • HowTo: step-by-step instructions, with supplies, tools and time.
  • Article: a blog post or news article, with author and dates.
  • Product: a product page, with price, availability and reviews.
  • Local Business: a shop, restaurant or office, with address, opening hours and map location.
  • Organization: your company or brand: logo, contact details and social profiles. Usually on the homepage or About page.
  • Breadcrumb: the trail showing where a page sits in your site, such as Home › Shoes › Running.
  • Event: a concert, course or webinar, with dates, place and tickets.
  • Job Posting: a vacancy, so it can appear in Google’s job search.
  • WebSite: your site’s name as you want it shown in search results. Homepage only.

A note on two of them: since 2023, Google shows FAQ rich results mainly for well-known government and health sites, and no longer shows HowTo rich results. Both types are still valid and still help other search engines and AI assistants understand your content.

How to create schema markup, step by step

  1. Open the Schema Markup Generator and choose the type that fits your page.
  2. Fill in the form. Fields marked Required are needed for rich results; Recommended ones make the markup more complete. Not sure where to start? Fill in an example shows a finished form.
  3. Watch Checks: it lists anything to fix, such as a missing required field or a date in the wrong format, until it says ✓ No problems found.
  4. Click Copy code or Download. Leave Include the <script> tag ticked if you’re pasting the code straight into HTML.

Where to put the code

Paste the whole <script> block into the HTML of the page it describes, ideally inside the <head>; anywhere in the <body> works too. Each page gets its own markup: the product code goes on that product’s page, not on every page.

  • WordPress: use the custom schema box of your SEO plugin, or a plugin that adds code to the head of a single page.
  • Shopify, Wix, Squarespace: use the custom code or header code settings of the page.
  • Your own HTML: paste it before </head>.

How to test your schema markup

Once the page is online, test it with the two links below the code in the generator:

  • Rich Results Test (Google) shows which rich results the page can get and lists any errors or warnings.
  • Schema.org validator checks the code against the full schema.org vocabulary, including types Google doesn’t use.

Afterwards, Google Search Console shows reports for your structured data under Enhancements, and tells you if problems appear later.

Rules to follow

  • Mark up only what visitors can see. Questions, prices and reviews in the code must also be on the page.
  • Keep it true and up to date. When a price, date or opening time changes, change the markup too.
  • Never invent reviews or ratings. Fake or self-written reviews break Google’s rules and can cost you rich results for the whole site.
  • Use full addresses. Links and image addresses should start with https://.

Is what I type uploaded?

No. The code is made in your browser, and nothing you type leaves your device. When you copy or download the code, our server only records that one use happened, for the daily limit.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to know how to code?

No. You fill in a form and copy the result. The only technical step is pasting the code into your page, and most website builders have a box for it.

Can one page have more than one schema type?

Yes. A product page can have Product and Breadcrumb markup, and a blog post can have Article and Breadcrumb. Add one <script> block for each.

How long until rich results appear?

Google has to crawl the page again first, which can take from a few days to a few weeks. Requesting indexing in Search Console can speed it up.

Building your own markup by hand? The JSON Formatter checks that the code inside the script tag is valid JSON, and this guide explains the most common JSON mistakes.

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