What is structured data?

How structured data works on an ecommerce site

Plain HTML shows "$49" somewhere on the page. Structured data labels it: this is the price, in US dollars, and the item is in stock. The most common format is JSON-LD, written with the schema.org vocabulary.

The types that matter most for stores:

• Product and Offer: name, brand, price, availability
• AggregateRating and Review: star ratings and review counts
• Organization: your brand name, logo and official profiles
• BreadcrumbList: where a page sits in your collections
• FAQPage: questions and answers you show on the page

Structured data vs. schema markup vs. product schema

• Structured data · What it means: The broad idea: facts in a standard, machine-readable format
• Schema markup · What it means: The schema.org vocabulary used to add structured data to web pages
• Product schema · What it means: One schema type, for product pages
• Product feed · What it means: Structured data outside your pages, sent to shopping channels

Why structured data matters for AI search

Search engines use structured data for rich results, like prices and stars in the listing. AI crawlers read it too, and get your facts in labeled form instead of piecing them together from layout.

It also helps engines connect the facts to your brand. When your Organization details match across your site and other sources, your brand entity is easier to recognize.

How to add structured data to your store

1. Start with Product on product pages and Organization on your homepage.
2. Add BreadcrumbList to collections, and FAQPage only where the FAQ is visible on the page.
3. Paste a page URL into Google's Rich Results Test or the Schema Markup Validator to see what it finds and what's broken.
4. Keep it matching what shoppers see. Structured data that disagrees with the page does more harm than none.