How do unitCode and unitText describe a measured value?

Definition: Schema.org QuantitativeValue describes a point value or an interval for product characteristics and other purposes. unitCode identifies the unit with a code or URL, while unitText supplies a textual unit; minValue and maxValue describe the lower and upper bounds of an interval.

Key facts

• Schema.org defines QuantitativeValue as a point value or interval for product characteristics and other purposes in its QuantitativeValue definition.
• unitCode accepts the UN/CEFACT Common Code, a URL, or another code with a prefix followed by a colon, according to Schema.org's unitCode property.
• unitText is a string or text indicating the unit and is useful when a standard unitCode cannot be provided, as stated in Schema.org's unitText property.
• Schema.org recommends Number for values on a QuantitativeValue; its value property also lists Number among the expected types.
• Google's merchant listing documentation uses QuantitativeValue for unit pricing and documents lower and upper day bounds for shipping times.

How does unitCode differ from unitText?

unitCode is the coded or linked form of a unit. Schema.org describes it as the unit of measurement given with the UN/CEFACT Common Code, which has 3 characters, or with a URL. It also permits other codes when a prefix and colon identify their vocabulary. This gives a data consumer a defined code or an address to interpret.

unitText is the textual form. Schema.org describes it as a string or text indicating the unit and says it is useful when a standard unit code cannot be provided. The two properties belong to the same QuantitativeValue model, but they carry different kinds of unit descriptions.

Google's merchant listing documentation applies a related rule to unit pricing. It states that unitCode may contain UN/CEFACT codes or their human-readable equivalents listed in Google Merchant Center Help. Its unit pricing example places the value and coded unit inside a referenceQuantity object:

{
  "@type": "QuantitativeValue",
  "value": "200",
  "unitCode": "ML"
}

How are a point value and a numeric range represented?

Use value for the measured point. Schema.org describes it as the value of a QuantitativeValue and recommends Number for this type. A numeric range uses the same object with minValue for the lower value and maxValue for the upper value. Both properties have an expected type of Number in the Schema.org definition.

Google's shipping-time example shows this interval shape with DAY as the unit:

{
  "@type": "QuantitativeValue",
  "minValue": 0,
  "maxValue": 1,
  "unitCode": "DAY"
}

The general Schema.org definitions describe the bounds as lower and upper values. Google's shipping rules add a more specific constraint: the minimum and maximum day values must be non-negative whole numbers, and the unit must be DAY or d.

What does Google document for product data?

Google's merchant listing page uses QuantitativeValue in two documented contexts. For unit pricing, referenceQuantity is the quantity of the product offered for the given price. The page gives buying flooring per square meter and liquids per half gallon as examples of pricing based on a unit measure.

For shipping times, Google requires a minimum and maximum number of days. The example places minValue, maxValue, and unitCode together in each QuantitativeValue. These are Google's rules for the shipping-time properties; Schema.org's general definition supplies the underlying property meanings.

How should the markup be checked?

First identify whether the data is a point or an interval. A point has value; an interval has minValue and maxValue. Then check that the unit describes the number with either unitCode or unitText, and that a coded unit follows the vocabulary being used. For Google's shipping-time markup, verify the documented DAY or d unit and the non-negative whole-number requirement. For a unit-pricing object, check that referenceQuantity contains the quantity offered for the stated price.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• How can a product declare a price per unit of measure?
• How does PropertyValue represent a specification with a unit?

FAQ

When should unitText be used?

Use unitText when the unit needs a textual description and a standard unitCode cannot be provided. Schema.org defines it as text indicating the unit of measurement.

Can QuantitativeValue represent a range?

Yes. Set minValue to the lower value and maxValue to the upper value. Schema.org assigns both properties the expected type Number.

Does Google apply the same rules to every QuantitativeValue?

Google's documentation says that QuantitativeValue is also used for shipping durations with different rules. Its shipping-time section requires both day bounds and restricts the unit to DAY or d.

Sources

1. Schema.org, "QuantitativeValue", 16 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "unitCode", 16 September 2026
3. Schema.org, "unitText", 16 September 2026
4. Google Search Central, "Merchant listing (Product, Offer) structured data", 8 September 2026

---

Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer