Schema markup and JSON-LD, explained
Google calls this structured data: a standard way to give clear clues about a page and sort its content. Most of it uses the schema.org vocabulary, which names types like Organization, Product and FAQPage and the facts each can carry.
JSON-LD is a W3C standard for writing linked data as JSON. On a web page it sits in its own script block, apart from the text people read, which is why Google calls it the easiest format to set up and maintain. The rule that matters most: the markup must describe what is really on the page.
Does schema markup help with AI search?
Google says structured data is not required for its generative AI features, and there is no special markup for them. It still recommends structured data as part of normal SEO, because it can make a page eligible for rich results.
What is the difference between schema markup and JSON-LD?
Schema markup is what you say about the page, using schema.org types and properties. JSON-LD is one way to write it down. Microdata and RDFa are the other two formats Google supports.
Questions
What is schema markup in simple terms?
Schema markup is code that tells search engines what a page is about. It might label an article, a product or a set of questions. The labels come from schema.org.
Why does Google recommend JSON-LD?
Google says JSON-LD is the easiest format for site owners to set up and keep up at scale. It sits in its own block, so it is not mixed into the text people read.
Can schema markup include things not shown on the page?
It should not. Google says not to add structured data about information that visitors cannot see, even if it is accurate.
Where we use this term
Sources
- Introduction to structured data markup in Google Search. Google Search Central.
- Schema.org. Schema.org.
- JSON-LD 1.1. W3C Recommendation. .
- Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. Google Search Central. .
Definition checked against these sources and our own pages on .