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Schema (Schema.org)

Schema.org is a shared vocabulary of types (Article, Product, Event, FAQPage, etc.) that websites use to describe their content in a machine-readable way. Google and Bing use Schema.org to generate rich results.

Updated April 2026 · 4 min read
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Definition

Schema.org is a shared vocabulary of types (Article, Product, Event, FAQPage, etc.) that websites use to describe their content in a machine-readable way. Google and Bing use Schema.org to generate rich results.

What it means

Schema.org was created in 2011 by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, and Yandex to standardize how webmasters describe content to search engines. Before Schema.org, each search engine had its own markup vocabulary — a mess. Today, Schema.org has 800+ types covering almost every conceivable content form: Product, Article, Recipe, LocalBusiness, Person, Organization, Event, JobPosting, FAQPage, HowTo, Course, Movie, Book, and dozens of domain-specific types. Each type has properties (an Article has headline, author, datePublished; a Product has name, price, brand, review). Properly-typed content is eligible for rich results in search.

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Why it matters

The difference between 'has Schema' and 'no Schema' is often the difference between a boring blue-link result and a visually prominent result with ratings, images, prices, or FAQ expansions. On e-commerce, missing Product schema means missing star ratings in search — a direct CTR loss. On blogs, missing Article + FAQPage schema misses the AI Overviews and People Also Ask inclusion that drives meaningful traffic in 2026.

Related free tools

Free toolSchema Markup GeneratorGenerate valid JSON-LD for Article, Product, LocalBusiness, BreadcrumbList, and more. Copy straight into your <head>.Open tool →Free toolFAQ Schema GeneratorEnter Q&A pairs and get valid FAQPage JSON-LD — the exact markup Google uses for FAQ rich results in search.Open tool →

Frequently asked questions

How do I know which Schema.org type to use?

Start with what the page actually is — a blog post is Article, a product page is Product, a how-to guide is HowTo, etc. If in doubt, pick the most specific type that fits.

Can I use multiple types on one page?

Yes — a blog post might be Article + FAQPage + BreadcrumbList. Nesting is common and encouraged.

Does adding Schema guarantee rich results?

No — Google decides case-by-case based on quality, site reputation, and query intent. Schema is necessary but not sufficient.

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