Is itemReviewed needed inside a nested Review object?

Definition: For Google's review snippet markup, itemReviewed is conditional. Omit it when a Review is nested in a parent object's review property, or when an AggregateRating is nested in aggregateRating; the parent object identifies the item being reviewed or rated.

Key facts

• Google's Review snippet documentation says to omit itemReviewed from a nested Review because the parent item is assumed to be the reviewed item.
• A nested review still needs the reviewed item's name in the parent object's name property. Google lists a Game named “Firefly” as an example.
• The same conditional rule applies to a nested AggregateRating: omit its itemReviewed property when it is inside aggregateRating.
• A standalone AggregateRating needs the rated item, its name, ratingValue, and at least one of ratingCount or reviewCount under Google's property definitions.
• Schema.org defines Review as a review of an item and AggregateRating as an average based on multiple ratings or reviews.

When is itemReviewed omitted?

Google distinguishes a standalone object from one attached to its parent. A standalone Review uses itemReviewed to identify the subject. A Review nested through the parent object's review property omits itemReviewed, because the parent is the subject. The parent still needs a name for the reviewed item.

This is the shape of Google's nested review example, with the review attached to a named Game:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "Game",
  "name": "Firefly",
  "review": {
    "@type": "Review",
    "reviewRating": {
      "@type": "Rating",
      "ratingValue": 5
    },
    "author": {
      "@type": "Person",
      "name": "John Doe"
    }
  }
}

The nested Review has no itemReviewed. Its reviewRating describes the score given by that review, while the parent's name supplies the reviewed item's name. Schema.org's Review definition describes itemReviewed as “The item that is being reviewed/rated.”

Does the same rule apply to AggregateRating?

Yes. Google's AggregateRating property definitions make itemReviewed required for a standalone aggregate and say to omit it when the aggregate is nested through aggregateRating. The parent object's name remains required, and the aggregate needs ratingValue plus at least one of ratingCount or reviewCount.

Google's nested example uses a Game named “Firefly” and places the rating inside that object:

{
  "@type": "Game",
  "name": "Firefly",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": 88,
    "bestRating": 100,
    "ratingCount": 20
  }
}

Schema.org describes AggregateRating as “The average rating based on multiple ratings or reviews.” In Google's example, the parent identifies the rated item and the nested object carries the combined score and count.

What else must the page show?

Google's technical guidelines require review information about a specific item. The marked-up review text and associated rating should be available to users, and an AggregateRating should be visible on the page when it is marked up. If a page includes multiple individual reviews, Google's guidelines also call for an aggregate rating of those reviews. Ratings or reviews gathered from other websites are excluded by the same guidelines.

Schema.org supplies the vocabulary, while Google's property table supplies the conditional requirements for its review snippet feature. A valid Schema.org graph can therefore contain itemReviewed on a standalone object, while Google's nested pattern uses the parent relationship to express the same target.

How should the markup be checked?

Google recommends the Rich Results Test for validation and the URL Inspection tool after deployment. Check that the parent has the item's name, the nested object uses the correct property, the score and count fields describe the visible page content, and the page is accessible without a robots.txt block, noindex directive, or login requirement.

Related terms

• Review structured data
• AggregateRating structured data
• Product structured data

FAQ

Should a nested Review repeat the parent in itemReviewed?

No. When the Review is a value of the parent object's review property, Google instructs you to omit itemReviewed. Keep the parent's name so the reviewed item remains identified.

Should a standalone Review have itemReviewed?

Yes, Google's required property table lists itemReviewed for a review that is not nested. Its value identifies the item being reviewed and must use one of Google's supported item types.

Does itemReviewed replace the parent name?

No. For a nested Review or AggregateRating, the parent object's name identifies the item. Google still requires that name when the nested object omits itemReviewed.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Review snippet (Review, AggregateRating) structured data", 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "Review", undated
3. Schema.org, "AggregateRating", undated

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