Structured data and entities · Intermediate

JSON-LD

JSON-LD is the format Google recommends for structured data. It sits in a script tag in the page, separate from the visible content, which makes it easy to add and maintain.

By Thryv StudioUpdated

Level
Intermediate
Stands for
JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data
Placed in
<script type="application/ld+json">
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What is JSON-LD?

JSON-LD is one of three ways to add structured data (with microdata and RDFa). Instead of annotating HTML elements, it describes the page in a separate block of JSON:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{ "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "What is AEO?", "datePublished": "2026-03-01" }
</script>

Why Google recommends it

It's separate from the design, so it doesn't break when templates change, and it can be generated from a CMS or added by tag managers.

Common mistakes

  • Invalid JSON: trailing commas, curly quotes, missing brackets.
  • Relative URLs where absolute ones are needed.
  • Dates not in ISO 8601 format.

Frequently asked questions

Can a page have several JSON-LD blocks?

Yes, or one block with an @graph containing several items.

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