Schema.org defines over 800 entity types, but in practice 16 of them cover 99% of websites. This guide explains each one - what it does, when to use it, what makes Google's AI prefer it, and a working JSON-LD example. Bookmark it as your reference.
The foundation for any content site. Marks up blog posts, news articles, and editorial content. BlogPosting is a more specific subtype - use it for blog content. NewsArticle is for news publications and unlocks Top Stories carousel eligibility.
Required: headline, author, datePublished, image. Strongly recommended: dateModified, publisher.
Question-and-answer pairs on a single page. The single highest-impact schema for AI Overview citations (61% lift). 4 - 8 entries optimal. See FAQ schema setup guide.
Step-by-step procedural content. Each step gets its own HowToStep with name and text. Includes optional time estimates, tools needed, and supplies.
Any item for sale. Combine with Offer (price, availability, currency) and AggregateRating (review count, average rating) for star-rating rich results. Mandatory for ecommerce sites.
Individual product or service reviews. Includes reviewer Person, rating, review body. Pairs with Product for credibility signals.
Summary of multiple reviews. Drives the star ratings shown in search results. Required fields: ratingValue, reviewCount.
For service businesses (lawyers, plumbers, consultants). Specifies service area, provider, and pricing.
Your company entity. Logo, sameAs links to social profiles, contact info. Critical for Knowledge Graph inclusion.
Subtype of Organization for businesses with physical or service locations. Includes NAP (name, address, phone), opening hours, geo coordinates. Specific subtypes (Restaurant, Dentist, AutoDealer, etc.) inherit and add type-specific fields.
Author entities. Critical for E-E-A-T signals. Required: name. Strongly recommended: jobTitle, image, sameAs (3+ profile URLs to LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.). Sites with verified Person schema get cited 2.4x more often by AI.
Site hierarchy. Drives the breadcrumb display in search results (Home Category Article). Required on every page.
Site-level entity with potential SearchAction for sitelinks search box. Add once at the root level.
Food blogs. Includes ingredients, prep/cook time, nutrition, instructions. Drives recipe-card rich results with image and rating.
Conferences, webinars, concerts. Date, location, organizer, ticket info. Drives event listings in search and Google Maps.
Embedded videos. Includes thumbnail, duration, upload date, description. Drives video carousel inclusion.
Online or in-person classes. Provider, name, description, offers. Drives course rich results.
Job listings. Title, description, location, salary range, employment type. Drives Google for Jobs inclusion (essential for HR/recruiting sites).
Modern schema is not a list of isolated blocks - it's a connected graph. The 2026 standard wraps multiple schema types in a single @graph array with shared @id references:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{ "@type": "Article", "@id": "#article", "author": {"@id": "#author"} },
{ "@type": "Person", "@id": "#author", "name": "Jane Doe" },
{ "@type": "Organization", "@id": "#org", "name": "Example Co" }
]
}Sites publishing @graph bundles get 3.2x more AI citations than sites with disconnected blocks. AI Overview Schema generates the full bundle automatically.
| If you have... | Use these schemas |
|---|---|
| Blog post | Article + Person + Organization + BreadcrumbList + FAQPage |
| Product page | Product + Offer + AggregateRating + Review + Breadcrumb |
| Tutorial | HowTo + Article + Person + FAQPage |
| Local business | LocalBusiness + Organization + Service |
| Recipe | Recipe + Person + AggregateRating |
| Event | Event + Organization + Place |
| Job listing | JobPosting + Organization |
| Video page | VideoObject + Article |
Yes - you should. Most pages need 4 - 6 connected schema types in a @graph bundle.
BlogPosting is a more specific subtype of Article. Use BlogPosting for blog content; use Article for everything else.
WooCommerce themes generate basic Product schema. Schema plugins enhance it with AggregateRating and full @graph linking. Use both together.
Yes - combine them. Article for the post wrapper, HowTo for the step-by-step section.
Roughly: Recipe, Product, Article (top stories), Event, Course, Job, Local Business, Video. FAQ rich snippets are limited to authoritative sites only as of 2024.
What Is Schema Markup? - Add Schema to WordPress - Schema.org Full Type Hierarchy
AI Overview Schema - 16+ types covered - Auto @graph bundling
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