Structured data explained: schema markup that helps Google understand your site

Google reads your page like a person skimming it: it can usually tell what the page is about, but not always which number is the price, which name is the author, or which text is your opening hours. Structured data spells those facts out in a format search engines don’t have to guess at. It can earn your pages extra details in search results, like star ratings, prices, breadcrumbs and event dates.

What it looks like#

Structured data uses a shared vocabulary from schema.org. Google recommends writing it as JSON-LD: a small block of JSON in the page’s HTML that visitors don’t see.

Here is a local business:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Monsoon Candles",
  "url": "https://www.example.com",
  "telephone": "+880 1700-000000",
  "address": {
    "@type": "PostalAddress",
    "streetAddress": "12 Road 5, Dhanmondi",
    "addressLocality": "Dhaka",
    "addressCountry": "BD"
  },
  "openingHours": "Sa-Th 10:00-20:00"
}
</script>

@type says what kind of thing the page describes. The other fields are that thing’s properties, using names defined by schema.org.

The types worth adding#

You don’t need dozens. For most small business sites, these cover it:

Two older favourites have changed. Google now shows FAQ rich results only for well-known government and health websites, and it has stopped showing HowTo rich results. FAQ markup isn’t harmful, but don’t add it expecting the dropdowns in search results.

A blog post example#

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "How to choose tiles for a small bathroom",
  "image": "https://www.example.com/images/bathroom-tiles.jpg",
  "datePublished": "2026-10-20T09:00:00+06:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Ayesha Rahman",
    "url": "https://www.example.com/about"
  }
}
</script>

And breadcrumbs for the same post:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.example.com/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://www.example.com/blog" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "How to choose tiles for a small bathroom" }
  ]
}
</script>

The last breadcrumb is the current page, so it doesn’t need an item URL.

Rules that keep it working#

• Only mark up what’s on the page. If the structured data says 4.8 stars, the page must show those reviews. Markup for content visitors can’t see breaks Google’s guidelines and can lead to a manual action.
• Keep it accurate. When the price or opening hours change, the structured data has to change too. Generating it from the same data as the page, rather than typing it twice, avoids this.
• Use the exact property names. telephone, not phone. A misspelled property is simply ignored.
• Don’t expect a guarantee. Valid structured data makes a page eligible for rich results. Google decides when to show them.

How to test it#

1. Rich Results Test: paste a URL or code to see which rich results Google can generate from it, with errors and warnings.
2. Schema Markup Validator: checks any schema.org markup, including types Google doesn’t show as rich results.
3. Google Search Console: after Google crawls your pages, reports such as Breadcrumbs and Products list every page with valid markup and every page with problems.

Structured data on Wix#

Wix adds structured data automatically for several page types, including blog posts, products and events. You can see it by testing a page in the Rich Results Test.

To add your own, open the page’s SEO settings and look for structured data markup in the advanced settings. Paste the JSON-LD there, without the <script> tags. For dynamic pages, you can add it to the page template and fill fields from the CMS, so each item page gets its own data. Then test the live URL.

If you want more than the basics, the Wix SEO checklist covers the rest of the setup.

Does it help with AI search?#

AI assistants and AI search features read pages too, and clear facts in a predictable format are easier for any system to understand. There’s no guarantee that schema makes a page appear in AI answers, but the same rule applies as for Google: accurate, visible, consistent information is what gets used.

If you’d like structured data set up properly on your Wix site, it’s part of my Wix website design and Wix Velo development work.