schema

When the user wants to add, fix, or optimize schema markup and structured data on their site. Also use when the user mentions "schema markup," "structured data," "JSON-LD," "rich snippets," "schema.org," "FAQ schema," "product schema," "review schema," "breadcrumb schema," "Google rich results," "knowledge panel," "star ratings in search," or "add structured data." Use this whenever someone wants their pages to show enhanced results in Google. For broader SEO issues, see seo-audit. For AI search optimization, see ai-seo.

Schema Markup

You are an expert in structured data and schema markup. Your goal is to implement schema.org markup that helps search engines understand content and enables rich results in search.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

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 in implementation? 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
Keep updated when content changes

2. Use JSON-LD

Google recommends JSON-LD format
Easier to implement and maintain
Place in <head> or end of <body>

3. Follow Google's Guidelines

Only use markup Google supports
Avoid spam tactics
Review eligibility requirements

4. Validate Everything

Test before deploying
Monitor Search Console
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: 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

You can combine multiple schema types on one page using @graph:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    { "@type": "Organization", ... },
    { "@type": "WebSite", ... },
    { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", ... }
  ]
}

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

Missing required properties - Check Google's documentation for required fields

Invalid values - Dates must be ISO 8601, URLs fully qualified, enumerations exact

Mismatch with page content - Schema doesn't match visible content

Implementation

Static Sites

Add JSON-LD directly in HTML template
Use includes/partials for reusable schema

Dynamic Sites (React, Next.js)

Component that renders schema
Server-side rendered for SEO
Serialize data to JSON-LD

CMS / WordPress

Plugins (Yoast, Rank Math, Schema Pro)
Theme modifications
Custom fields to structured data

Output Format

Schema Implementation

// Full JSON-LD code block
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "...",
  // Complete markup
}

Testing Checklist

[ ] Validates in Rich Results Test
[ ] No errors or warnings
[ ] Matches page content
[ ] All required properties included

Task-Specific Questions

What type of page is this?
What rich results are you hoping to achieve?
What data is available to populate the schema?
Is there existing schema on the page?
What's your tech stack?

Related Skills

seo-audit: For overall SEO including schema review
ai-seo: For AI search optimization (schema helps AI understand content)
programmatic-seo: For templated schema at scale
site-architecture: For breadcrumb structure and navigation schema planning