Schema Markup
Implement schema.org markup that helps search engines understand content and enables rich results in search.
Installation
OpenClaw / Moltbot / Clawbot
npx clawhub@latest install schema-markupWhen to Use
- Adding structured data to new or existing pages
- Fixing schema validation errors
- Optimizing for specific rich results (FAQ, product, article)
- Implementing JSON-LD in React/Next.js applications
- Auditing existing schema markup
Initial Assessment
Before implementing schema, understand:
- Page Type — What kind of page? What's the primary content? What rich results are possible?
- Current State — Any existing schema? Errors? Which rich results already appearing?
- Goals — Which rich results are you targeting? What's the business value?
Core Principles
1. Accuracy First
- Schema must accurately represent page content
- Don't markup content that doesn't exist on the page
- Keep updated when content changes
2. Use JSON-LD
- Google recommends JSON-LD format
- Easier to implement and maintain than microdata or RDFa
- Place in
<head>or before</body>
3. Follow Google's Guidelines
- Only use markup Google supports for rich results
- Avoid spam tactics
- Review eligibility requirements for each type
4. Validate Everything
- Test before deploying
- Monitor Search Console enhancement reports
- Fix errors promptly
Common Schema Types
| Type | Use For | Required Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Company homepage/about | name, url |
| WebSite | Homepage (search box) | name, url |
| Article | Blog posts, news | headline, image, datePublished, author |
| Product | Product pages | name, image, offers |
| SoftwareApplication | SaaS/app pages | name, offers |
| FAQPage | FAQ content | mainEntity (Q&A array) |
| HowTo | Tutorials | name, step |
| BreadcrumbList | Any page with breadcrumbs | itemListElement |
| LocalBusiness | Local business pages | name, address |
| Event | Events, webinars | name, startDate, location |
For complete JSON-LD examples with required/recommended field annotations: See references/schema-examples.md
Quick Reference
Organization (Company Page)
Required: name, url Recommended: logo, sameAs (social profiles), contactPoint
Article/BlogPosting
Required: headline, image, datePublished, author Recommended: dateModified, publisher, description
Product
Required: name, image, offers (price + availability) Recommended: sku, brand, aggregateRating, review
FAQPage
Required: mainEntity (array of Question/Answer pairs)
BreadcrumbList
Required: itemListElement (array with position, name, item)
Multiple Schema Types
Combine multiple schema types on one page using @graph:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{ "@type": "Organization", "..." : "..." },
{ "@type": "WebSite", "..." : "..." },
{ "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "..." : "..." }
]
}Use @id to create referenceable entities — define once, reference elsewhere with {"@id": "..."}.
Validation and Testing
Tools
- Google Rich Results Test: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
- Schema.org Validator: https://validator.schema.org/
- Search Console: Enhancements reports
Common Errors
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Missing required field | Required property not included | Add the missing property |
| Invalid URL | Relative URL or malformed | Use fully qualified URLs (https://...) |
| Invalid date format | Not ISO 8601 | Use YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+00:00 |
| Invalid enum value | Wrong enumeration value | Use exact schema.org URLs (e.g., https://schema.org/InStock) |
| Content mismatch | Schema doesn't match visible content | Ensure schema reflects actual page content |
| Invalid price | Currency symbol or commas included | Use numeric value only ("149.99") |
Implementation
Static Sites
- Add JSON-LD directly in HTML template
- Use includes/partials for reusable schema
Dynamic Sites (React, Next.js)
export function JsonLd({ data }: { data: Record<string, unknown> }) {
return (
<script
type="application/ld+json"
dangerouslySetInnerHTML={{ __html: JSON.stringify(data) }}
/>
);
}CMS / WordPress
- Plugins: Yoast, Rank Math, Schema Pro
- Theme modifications for custom types
- Custom fields mapped to structured data
Testing Checklist
- Validates in Rich Results Test with no errors
- No warnings for recommended properties
- Schema content matches visible page content
- All required properties included for each type
- URLs are fully qualified
- Dates are ISO 8601 format
- Prices are numeric without currency symbols
Task-Specific Questions
Before implementing, gather answers to:
- What type of page is this? (product, article, FAQ, local business)
- What rich results are you targeting? (FAQ dropdown, product stars, breadcrumbs)
- What data is available to populate the schema? (prices, ratings, dates)
- Is there existing schema on the page? (check with Rich Results Test first)
- What's your tech stack? (static HTML, React/Next.js, CMS/WordPress)
Implementation Workflow
- Identify page types — map your site's pages to schema types
- Start with homepage — Organization + WebSite schema
- Add per-page schema — Article for blog, Product for shop, etc.
- Add BreadcrumbList — every page with navigation breadcrumbs
- Validate each page — Rich Results Test before and after
- Monitor Search Console — check enhancement reports weekly after launch
NEVER Do
- NEVER add schema for content that doesn't exist on the page — this violates Google's guidelines and risks penalties
- NEVER use microdata or RDFa when JSON-LD is an option — JSON-LD is easier to maintain and Google's recommended format
- NEVER hardcode schema that should be dynamic — product prices, availability, and ratings must reflect current data
- NEVER skip validation before deploying — invalid schema is worse than no schema; it wastes crawl budget
- NEVER mark up every page identically — each page type needs its own appropriate schema types
- NEVER ignore Search Console errors — schema errors can cause rich results to disappear entirely