An SEO agency tells you that adding "schema" will put gold stars and drop-down questions under your listing on Google. It sounds cheap and quick. But you have seen competitors with no stars at all, and you are not sure what you would be paying for.
These labels are real, and they can help Google read your pages. But Google has changed which extras it shows, and some popular ones are gone. This guide explains what schema markup does, what it no longer does, and how to check your own site for free.
Quick answer
What is schema markup?
Schema markup is a set of labels added to a web page's code that tells search engines what the page is about. Visitors do not see it. Google describes structured data as "a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content".
The labels come from Schema.org, a shared vocabulary started by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and Yandex. So "schema markup" and "structured data" mean almost the same thing in practice.
A plain example
Your clinic's contact page says "Open 10 am to 7 pm, closed Sunday" in normal text. A person understands it at once. The markup adds a hidden note that says, in effect: this is a medical business, this is its name, this is its address, and these are its opening hours.
Google supports three formats for these notes: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. Google says it generally recommends JSON-LD if your site's setup allows it. Your developer will know which one your site uses.
What can rich snippets show for a business?
Rich snippets, which Google now calls rich results, are search listings with extras, like a price, stock status or star rating. Structured data makes a page eligible for them. Google says it does not promise your structured data will show, even when the Rich Results Test finds no errors.
| Structured data type | What it can do on Google | Fits |
| LocalBusiness | Tells Google your hours, departments and other business details | Shops, clinics, cafes, workshops |
| Organization | Helps Google pick your logo and tell your business apart from others with a similar name | Every business, on the home or about page |
| Product | Can show price, availability, review ratings and shipping in results | Online shops |
| Review snippet | Can show stars and a rating summary | Pages that review other things, not your own business |
Structured data for a business with a common name
Organization markup is useful if your name looks like other names. Google says it can help "disambiguate your organization in search results". It recommends putting it on your home page or a single about page.
Google says Organization markup has no required properties. Add every detail that is true and relevant: name, logo, address, phone and social profiles.
Product structured data for an online shop
Google splits product markup into two kinds. Product snippets are for pages where people read about a product but cannot buy it there. Merchant listings are for pages where a customer can actually buy.
If you sell online, the price and stock in the markup must match what the page shows. A sale price that ends on Sunday must be changed in both places, or Google may treat the markup as misleading.
What changed for FAQ and HowTo rich results?
In August 2023, Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known, authoritative government and health websites. It also cut HowTo rich results to desktop, then stopped showing them completely. In 2026 Google ended FAQ rich results for everyone.
| Date | What Google changed |
| 8 August 2023 | FAQ rich results limited to well-known, authoritative government and health sites. HowTo limited to desktop. |
| September 2023 | HowTo rich results no longer shown on desktop or mobile. HowTo documentation removed. |
| May 2026 | Google announced the FAQ rich result would no longer appear in Search from 7 May 2026. |
| June 2026 | Google removed the FAQ rich result documentation. |
This matters when someone sells you "FAQ schema to get drop-downs on Google". Those drop-downs do not show for a normal business site any more. Your FAQ section can still help readers, and Google said in 2023 there was no need to rush to remove old markup.
What structured data will not do
Google has a page on AI Overviews and AI Mode. It says there is no special schema.org structured data you need to add to appear in them. So treat any "AI schema package" with suspicion.
Labels also do not replace a good page. If the page does not answer what the customer searched, labels will not fix that.
Which schema markup fits a local business?
For most shops, clinics and service businesses, two types cover the basics: Organization on the home page and LocalBusiness on the contact or location page. An online shop adds Product on each product page.
Maybe your website was built by someone who has left, and nobody knows what your pages carry. Then it may be simpler to set it up properly during a rebuild. That is part of the work behind The Beyond Horizon's website development service for Indian businesses.
Star ratings for your own business
This is the mistake buyers ask about most. Google's rule says that if a business controls the reviews about itself, its pages using LocalBusiness or Organization markup are not eligible for review stars.
So putting your own testimonials into star markup will not bring stars to your listing. Your Google reviews appear in your Google Business Profile instead, which is a separate free tool.
How do I check if my website has structured data?
You do not need a developer for a first check. Google and Schema.org both offer free tools.
- Open Google's Rich Results Test and paste your page address. It tests as a smartphone by default.
- Read which rich result types it finds, and any errors or warnings.
- For a wider check, paste the same address into the Schema Markup Validator run by Schema.org. It checks against the full vocabulary, not just Google's features.
- In Google Search Console, open Enhancements. Reports appear only for supported types Google found on your site, such as breadcrumbs, review snippets or events.
- Product snippets and merchant listings appear under Shopping in Search Console, not under Enhancements.
A small tip: test your contact page and one product or service page, as well as the home page. Markup is often added once on the home page and forgotten everywhere else.
Save a screenshot of each result with the date. If someone later changes your site or theme, run the same test again and compare.
Rules that can cost you rich results
Google's guidelines are short and strict. Break them, and your pages can lose rich results.
A manual action is when a Google reviewer flags your site by hand. A manual action for structured data removes rich result eligibility for the affected pages. Google says this does not affect how those pages rank in normal web results. But you lose the extras you paid for.
Closing note
Structured data is worth adding correctly once, as part of a well-built site. It is not worth a monthly fee by itself, and nobody can promise stars or a top position from it.
If you want someone to check your site's markup and explain what it does and does not do, call or WhatsApp The Beyond Horizon on +91 75973 92744.