Review structured data

Definition: Review structured data uses Schema.org's Review type to describe an evaluation of a particular item, identify its author and connect it to the item reviewed. Google's review snippet policies govern whether this markup is eligible for a search appearance containing review information, such as stars.

Key facts

• As of 17 October 2026, Google's Review snippet documentation requires an identifiable reviewer and a named reviewed item, including when the review is nested inside that item's markup.
• Schema.org's Review definition separates the review text, reviewBody, from the rating, reviewRating.
• Google's self-serving reviews policy explanation applies to both Review and AggregateRating for reviews of businesses and organizations placed on those entities' own sites.
• Google's structured data policies require markup to represent visible page content accurately; missing required properties makes an item ineligible for rich results.

How is a review attributed?

Schema.org's Review vocabulary uses author for the person or organization responsible for the content or rating. The itemReviewed property identifies the subject of the evaluation. The inherited publisher property identifies the publisher, allowing authorship and publication to be represented separately.

Google's property requirements specify a valid reviewer name shorter than 100 characters. When a Review is nested through an item's review property, the parent supplies the reviewed item's identity and name, and itemReviewed is omitted.

This JSON-LD example reproduces Google's nested review example for a game. “Firefly” and “John Doe” are example values from the documentation:

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

Which business reviews are eligible?

Google's policy explanation calls a review self-serving when the reviewed entity places it on its own website, including through a third-party widget. Pages using LocalBusiness or Organization, including their subtypes, are ineligible for review stars in that situation. The explanation explicitly includes AggregateRating, the type used for combined ratings.

Sites collecting reviews about other organizations remain eligible under the applicable requirements. The same explanation says the restriction concerns organic Search and leaves Business Profiles unaffected.

Google's technical guidelines require local business ratings to come directly from users, without editors creating or compiling them. They also prohibit aggregating ratings from other websites and including fake or undisclosed incentivized reviews. Markup must describe a specific item, and visitors must be able to see the marked-up review and associated rating.

How is the markup checked?

Google's structured data policies require the most specific applicable Schema.org type and all required properties for the intended search feature. A page's main markup should reflect its main subject, with associated reviews connected to it.

The Review snippet implementation instructions recommend the Rich Results Test for code validation, followed by URL Inspection to check Google's access to the published page. Search Console's relevant rich result status report helps monitor invalid items after indexing. Policy issues can escape syntax testing, and valid markup alone does not ensure a rich result appears.

Related terms

• Structured data
• LocalBusiness structured data
• Product structured data
• AggregateRating structured data

FAQ

Can a review widget make my business homepage eligible for stars?

Google's policy FAQ treats embedding a third-party review widget about your own business as controlling the linking of reviews. The business page remains ineligible for review snippets under this policy.

Must every individual review include a numerical rating?

Google's Review snippet documentation allows you to omit an individual review's rating when the marked-up content includes an author and a review date. An aggregate review requires an average rating.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Review snippet (Review, AggregateRating) structured data", updated 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "Review", undated
3. Google Search Central, "Making Review Rich Results more helpful", 16 September 2019
4. Google Search Central, "General structured data guidelines", updated 10 July 2026

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