How do I mark recipe cooking time and servings?

Definition: Recipe time and yield markup is structured data that describes a dish's preparation time, cooking time, total time and quantity produced. It uses prepTime, cookTime, totalTime and recipeYield properties on a Recipe object.

Key facts

• As of 17 October 2026, Google's Recipe documentation lists name and image as required properties, and time and yield fields as recommended properties.
• Schema.org's Duration definition specifies ISO 8601 duration format for time quantities.
• Schema.org defines recipeYield as the quantity produced, including people served or servings.
• Google's structured data policies require the marked content to be visible to readers of the page.

How are preparation and cooking times formatted?

Google's time property descriptions define prepTime as the time spent preparing ingredients and workspace, and cookTime as the time spent cooking. Both use ISO 8601 durations. Google instructs publishers to use these properties together; totalTime can also describe the overall duration.

Schema.org's banana bread example pairs PT15M with a visible preparation time of 15 minutes and PT1H with a cooking time of 1 hour. The following JSON-LD fragment, a structured data representation, extracts those properties from that example:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "prepTime": "PT15M",
  "cookTime": "PT1H"
}

This fragment belongs within the recipe's complete markup. It supplies the time fields; the required dish name and image still belong in the same Recipe object.

How are servings and other yields represented?

Google's recipeYield instructions call for the serving count as a number, with additional yields allowed for other units. Its example represents 6 servings and an additional yield of 24 cookies:

{
  "recipeYield": [
    "6",
    "24 cookies"
  ]
}

The quoted numeric string follows Google's example. The same documentation requires recipeYield when nutritional information is expressed per serving. In particular, nutrition.calories describes calories in each serving, so the serving count must accompany it.

Which other recipe properties are documented?

Google's supported property table describes author as the person or organization that writes the recipe. It also documents description, recipeIngredient, recipeCategory and recipeCuisine. Category identifies the meal or course, while cuisine identifies the associated region.

For recipeInstructions, Google recommends HowToStep objects to identify the steps. HowToSection groups steps when a recipe has sections. The instructions contain the text explaining how to make the dish; author and cuisine information have their own properties.

How is the markup checked?

Google's implementation workflow calls for validation with the Rich Results Test and correction of critical errors. After deployment, the URL Inspection tool checks how Google sees the page, including whether Google can access it.

Google's content guidelines also require current information and visible marked content. The displayed preparation time, cooking time and serving count therefore need to agree with the structured data.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• How do I test a URL or code snippet with Google's Rich Results Test?
• How does Schema.org validation differ from Google's Rich Results Test?

FAQ

Can I supply only the total time?

Yes. Google's totalTime guidance allows totalTime or a combination of cookTime and prepTime. If you supply the separate preparation and cooking fields, use them together.

Do I need servings when I add calories?

Yes. The same documentation requires a serving count in recipeYield when you supply nutrition.calories, because that value describes calories per serving.

Can I describe a yield as a loaf?

Schema.org's recipeYield example uses "1 loaf". For Google's recipe markup, follow its serving-count instruction and include another unit as an additional yield.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Recipe (Recipe, HowTo, ItemList) structured data", updated 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "Duration", undated
3. Schema.org, "recipeYield", undated
4. Google Search Central, "General structured data guidelines", updated 10 July 2026

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