What is Structured Data?
Key Takeaways
- Structured data turns facts on a page into labelled fields that software does not have to guess at.
- On the web it is most often written in the Schema.org vocabulary and added to the page as JSON-LD.
- It describes what is visible on the page and should never claim more.
- It helps a search engine read a page accurately, and some types make a page eligible for richer results.
Understanding Structured Data
Plain text asks software to infer that a line is a phone number or a price. Structured data says so explicitly.
On a website the structure is usually a small block of code that sits alongside the visible content and repeats its main facts: who published it, what it is about, when it was updated.
Search engines publish which types they support and what each one needs. Following those documents is the safest approach.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the difference between structured data and schema markup?
Schema markup is the most common way of writing structured data on a web page. Structured data is the broader idea.
Does structured data guarantee rich results?
No. It can make a page eligible, and the search engine decides whether to show them.
How do I check my structured data?
Use the testing tools the search engines provide and the reports in Search Console.