How can markup extend a return window for a seasonal period?

Definition: A seasonal return window is a MerchantReturnPolicySeasonalOverride nested in an organization-level MerchantReturnPolicy. It combines a seasonal date range with a return policy category, while merchantReturnDays describes the return allowance measured from delivery.

Key facts

• Google Search Central places a standard business return policy under Organization with hasMerchantReturnPolicy; a policy for one product belongs under Offer and supports a smaller property set. Google's Merchant return policy documentation describes both levels.
• For an organization-level seasonal override, Google lists returnPolicySeasonalOverride and returnPolicySeasonalOverride.returnPolicyCategory as required properties.
• Google lists startDate, endDate and merchantReturnDays as recommended seasonal override properties. The category determines whether the window is finite, unlimited or unavailable.
• Schema.org defines startDate and endDate as Date or DateTime values in ISO 8601 date format. Its type definition describes merchantReturnDays as either a fixed return date or a number of days from delivery when the finite category is used.

How do the seasonal dates and return days work together?

The date fields and the return-day field answer different timing questions. startDate and endDate identify the seasonal period attached to the override. merchantReturnDays states how long a customer can return a product after delivery when the override uses MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow. The Schema.org definition also permits a fixed return date for this property.

To represent an extended seasonal allowance, place the holiday allowance in merchantReturnDays inside the seasonal override. The following pattern uses the property names and category documented by Google and Schema.org. Replace the placeholders with the dates for the policy period.

{
  "@type": "MerchantReturnPolicySeasonalOverride",
  "startDate": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "endDate": "YYYY-MM-DD",
  "merchantReturnDays": 30,
  "returnPolicyCategory": "https://schema.org/MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow"
}

Google's example uses MerchantReturnFiniteReturnWindow with merchantReturnDays when a seasonal rule sets a finite window. If the seasonal rule uses MerchantReturnNotPermitted or MerchantReturnUnlimitedWindow, the meaning of a finite day count no longer applies. Google states that merchantReturnDays is required when the finite category is selected.

Where should the markup go?

Google recommends placing the business return information on one page that describes the policy instead of repeating it on every page. The MerchantReturnPolicy type belongs under Organization for a standard policy, using hasMerchantReturnPolicy. The same documentation says a non-standard policy for a particular product can be placed under Offer, where the supported properties are a subset of the organization-level properties.

The page should expose the policy in JSON-LD or another supported structured data format alongside the policy information that customers can read. Google recommends validating the markup with the Rich Results Test, then using URL Inspection to check how Google sees the page. The page must be accessible to Google and cannot be blocked by robots.txt, a noindex tag or login requirements for that check.

How should you check the dates?

Check that each seasonal object contains the required category and that the date strings use an ISO 8601 date format. Confirm that the category agrees with the value of merchantReturnDays: Google requires the day count for a finite window, while Schema.org says the property is used when the finite category is specified. Compare the day count with the customer-facing return policy because the markup describes the policy rather than replacing it.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• Organization structured data

FAQ

Can a seasonal override sit under an Offer?

Google documents seasonal override properties for organization-level return policies. It also documents product-level MerchantReturnPolicy under Offer, with a subset of the organization-level properties, so confirm product-level support in the merchant listing documentation before moving seasonal fields there.

Does merchantReturnDays count from the order date?

No. Schema.org describes the numeric form as a number of days from the delivery date, and Google's documentation gives the same delivery-date meaning for the property.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Merchant return policy structured data", n.d.
2. Schema.org, "MerchantReturnPolicySeasonalOverride", n.d.

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