What is structured data?

Structured data is code that records information on a web page in a fixed, standard format, so search engines and AI systems can read unambiguously what it says, such as a price, an author or opening hours. It is usually added as JSON-LD and often uses the schema.org vocabulary.

Why is structured data important?

Unambiguous information: machines don’t have to guess whether “49.95” is a price, a date or an article number.
A chance at rich results: Google can use it to show extra elements in the search results.
Ready for AI: clear, structured details can help systems read your information correctly.

Examples of structured data

JSON-LD: a script block in the page, the format Google recommends
Microdata: attributes added directly in the HTML
RDFa: also attributes in the HTML, but less commonly used

How do you use structured data?

Choose JSON-LD, only mark up what is also visible on the page and use the type that fits the content, such as Product, Article or LocalBusiness. Test with Google’s Rich Results Test and watch for warnings in Search Console. See technical SEO.

Structured data