What review or rating data does Google's software app markup require?

Definition: As of 17 October 2026, Google's software app structured data requires an app name, an offer price, and either an individual review or an aggregate rating. An aggregate rating combines ratings for the app; an individual review identifies its author and includes a rating.

Key facts

• Google's software app documentation requires name, offers.price, and at least one of aggregateRating or review for rich result eligibility.
• Google's review snippet documentation requires an aggregate rating value and at least one count: ratingCount or reviewCount.
• Google's general structured data guidelines require markup to represent visible page content and include all required properties for the relevant rich result type.

Which fields belong in an aggregate rating?

Google's AggregateRating requirements specify ratingValue for the average score. ratingCount records the total number of ratings for the item on the site. reviewCount records how many people provide a review, with or without a rating. At least one count is required.

The object nests under the app's aggregateRating property. With this nesting, itemReviewed is omitted, and the parent app still needs its name. For numeric ratings, the default scale runs from 1 to 5; another scale uses worstRating and bestRating. Decimal values use a dot.

The following JSON-LD, a structured data format, reproduces the app object from Google's software app example. Its Angry Birds values illustrate the documentation's example:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Angry Birds",
  "operatingSystem": "ANDROID",
  "applicationCategory": "GameApplication",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": 4.6,
    "ratingCount": 8864
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": 1.00,
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

Which fields belong in an individual review?

Google's Review requirements list author, reviewRating, and reviewRating.ratingValue. The author is a Person or Organization with a valid name; the reviewer's name must be shorter than 100 characters.

A review nested under the app's review property omits itemReviewed and uses the parent app's name to identify the reviewed item. datePublished is recommended. The rating follows the same default scale and decimal formatting rules as an aggregate rating.

What review content must appear on the page?

Google's review snippet guidelines require review text and its associated rating to be readily available on the marked-up page. For AggregateRating, the aggregate rating must be visible. Reviews must concern a specific item, and multiple individual reviews also require an aggregate rating.

The same guidelines prohibit aggregating reviews or ratings from other websites and including fake or undisclosed incentivized reviews. An app page's markup therefore needs to reflect the review content available there.

How is eligibility checked?

Google's software app setup instructions specify the Rich Results Test to validate markup and fix critical errors. After deployment, URL Inspection checks how Google sees the page, including access restrictions.

Google's general guidelines explain that automated tools cannot easily test quality requirements. A valid test result establishes technical compliance with the checks performed; rich result display remains Google's selection.

Related terms

• Review structured data
• AggregateRating structured data
• JSON-LD
• Structured data

FAQ

Can I use software app markup for a free app?

Yes. Google's software app property definitions specify offers.price of 0 when the app is available without payment. The name and review or rating requirements still apply.

Do I need both a review and an aggregate rating?

Google requires at least one of these properties. Its review guidelines additionally require an aggregate rating when multiple individual reviews are included.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Software app (SoftwareApplication) structured data", 8 September 2026
2. Google Search Central, "Review snippet (Review, AggregateRating) structured data", 8 September 2026
3. Google Search Central, "General structured data guidelines", 10 July 2026

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