Schema Markup

---
name: schema-markup
description: 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.
metadata:
  version: 1.1.0
---

# 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-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` 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:

1. **Page Type** - What kind of page? What's the primary content? What rich results are possible?

2. **Current State** - Any existing schema? Errors in implementation? Which rich results already appearing?

3. **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
- Set `inLanguage` on CreativeWork types (Article, FAQPage, and similar
  content types — NOT LocalBusiness/Organization/Product, which schema.org
  does not define the property for) to match the page's `lang` — the
  starter's Base.astro already does this for WebSite/WebPage; hand-written
  schema must keep up

### 1a. German entity disambiguation
German businesses face two extra ambiguity traps AI retrieval stumbles on:
set BOTH `name` (the everyday brand) and `legalName` (with the GmbH/UG/e.K.
suffix), and when the brand collides with a common German noun (a bakery
named "Krume", a tool named "Hebel") or the town name is ambiguous
(Frankfurt², Neustadt ×30), lean on `sameAs` (register/profile URLs) plus a
full `PostalAddress`, `geo`, and `areaServed` so the entity resolves to YOUR
Frankfurt and YOUR Krume. The German LocalBusiness example in
references/schema-examples.md shows the full shape (incl. `vatID`,
`sameAs`, `geo`, `areaServed`).

### 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](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`:

```json
{
  "@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
```json
// 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

1. What type of page is this?
2. What rich results are you hoping to achieve?
3. What data is available to populate the schema?
4. Is there existing schema on the page?
5. 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