Structured data for apps: SoftwareApplication and more
Structured data is extra information in your page, written in a standard vocabulary (schema.org), that tells search engines what the page is about. It does not raise your ranking by itself. It can make your result eligible for richer display (for example breadcrumbs, or product details), and it removes guesswork about what your page is. For an app website a few types cover most needs.
The rule that matters most
Mark up only what a visitor can see on the page, and only what is true. Invented ratings, prices or review counts in markup violate search engine guidelines and can lead to manual actions. If your page has no visible reviews, do not add review markup.
Types worth using
SoftwareApplication (or MobileApplication) describes the app.
Useful properties: name, operatingSystem, applicationCategory, description, offers (price, free or paid), url, and the store link. Only add aggregateRating if your page truly shows a rating that you collect and that complies with the search engine's rules on review snippets. A rating copied from a store or from reviews that are not displayed on your page is not eligible in many cases; read the current guidelines.
FAQPage describes a visible list of questions and answers. The markup text must match the visible text. Note that search engines have limited how often FAQ results are shown, so do it for clarity rather than for a guaranteed display.
BreadcrumbList describes the path to a page (Home > Blog > Article). It helps search engines understand your structure and may show a breadcrumb trail in results.
Article / BlogPosting for guides: headline, datePublished, dateModified, author, image, and mainEntityOfPage.
Organization (or Person) for who is behind the site, with name, url, logo and sameAs links to official profiles.
A minimal example
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "MobileApplication",
"name": "Example Habit Tracker",
"operatingSystem": "ANDROID",
"applicationCategory": "HealthApplication",
"description": "Track daily habits and keep a streak.",
"offers": { "@type": "Offer", "price": "0", "priceCurrency": "EUR" },
"url": "https://example.com/habit-tracker"
}
</script>
Place it in the page's HTML. It is invisible to visitors.
Validate
- Paste the page URL or code into a structured-data testing tool (search engines provide free ones) and fix errors and warnings.
- In Search Console, check the "enhancements" reports for the types you use.
- Re-check after template changes. Markup breaks silently when a field disappears.
Common mistakes
- Marking up content that is not visible.
- Inventing ratings or review counts.
- Using the wrong type (an Article marked as a Product).
- Leaving out required fields for the feature you want.
- Duplicating conflicting markup from plugins and templates.
- Expecting rankings to jump. Markup supports understanding; content and links drive rankings. See SEO for app developers.
Checklist
- Choose the types that match your visible content.
- Keep markup identical to what visitors see.
- Add breadcrumbs and article markup to guides.
- Validate and monitor in Search Console.
- Review markup after each site change.
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