JSON-LD
A common format for embedding schema.org structured data.
What JSON-LD does
JSON-LD (JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data) is a way of writing structured data as a self-contained block of code, usually placed in the page head inside a script tag. Google supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa, but recommends JSON-LD because it's generally the easiest to add and maintain.
Is it worth adding?
Because JSON-LD sits apart from the visible HTML, it can be added by a plugin, a developer or a template without redesigning the page. That makes it practical for small sites. It also makes it easy to get wrong silently, for example by leaving old opening hours in the code after you change them on the page.
Because it's invisible to visitors, it's also easy to forget during updates. A short note in your process to update structured data when details change saves confusion later.
An example in practice
A hair salon's website platform outputs LocalBusiness JSON-LD automatically. When the salon extends its Thursday hours, the owner updates the contact page but not the settings that feed the code. The structured data now disagrees with the page. Updating the business settings brings everything back in line.
How to test JSON-LD
View the page source and search for "application/ld+json" to find any blocks. Read them: names, addresses, prices and hours should match the visible page exactly. Then run the page through Google's Rich Results Test, which reports parsing errors and missing required properties.
Errors to watch for
- Having several plugins each output their own conflicting markup.
- Leaving test or placeholder values in the code.
- Breaking the JSON with a stray comma, which can stop the whole block being read.
- Marking up details that don't appear anywhere on the page.
Related markup terms
- Schema (structured data): Standardised markup that clarifies entities for search engines.
- FAQ schema: FAQPage structured data for question-and-answer content. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in 2026.
- Breadcrumb schema: Structured data describing the page's position in the site hierarchy.
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