Which applicationCategory values does Google support for software apps?

Definition: applicationCategory is a recommended SoftwareApplication property in Google's structured data documentation. For this documentation, Google requires its value to be a supported app type from the published list of exact strings.

Key facts

• Google's software app documentation places applicationCategory among the recommended properties and says its value must be a supported app type.
• The documented values are GameApplication, SocialNetworkingApplication, TravelApplication, ShoppingApplication, SportsApplication, LifestyleApplication, BusinessApplication, DesignApplication, DeveloperApplication, DriverApplication, EducationalApplication, HealthApplication, FinanceApplication, SecurityApplication, BrowserApplication, CommunicationApplication, DesktopEnhancementApplication, EntertainmentApplication, MultimediaApplication, HomeApplication, UtilitiesApplication, and ReferenceApplication.
• Schema.org describes applicationCategory as the type of software application and gives Game and Multimedia as examples.
• Schema.org lists Text and URL as the value types for applicationCategory, with SoftwareApplication as the type on which the property is used.
• Google also documents MobileApplication and WebApplication as supported types for mobile and web applications.

Which exact strings does Google list?

Google's page, updated 8 September 2026, labels the values below as its “List of supported app types.” Use the spelling and capitalization shown in the documentation. The list includes broad categories such as BusinessApplication, EducationalApplication, and EntertainmentApplication, together with more specific categories such as DriverApplication, BrowserApplication, and DesktopEnhancementApplication.

The remaining documented values are GameApplication, SocialNetworkingApplication, TravelApplication, ShoppingApplication, SportsApplication, LifestyleApplication, DesignApplication, DeveloperApplication, HealthApplication, FinanceApplication, SecurityApplication, CommunicationApplication, MultimediaApplication, HomeApplication, UtilitiesApplication, and ReferenceApplication.

Is applicationCategory required for Google's software app result?

Google places applicationCategory in the recommended properties table. The same documentation lists name, offers.price, and either aggregateRating or review in the required properties table. A category value therefore supplies recommended app classification alongside the required app information.

Google's wording is specific to a supported app type. A free-form label can fit Schema.org's Text range, but it does not match the Google list for this structured data feature. The documented Google value is an exact string such as BusinessApplication or GameApplication.

How does Schema.org describe the property?

Schema.org's applicationCategory definition gives the property the description “Type of software application, e.g. 'Game, Multimedia'.” It lists Text and URL as its expected value types and lists SoftwareApplication as the type on which the property is used.

Schema.org also defines applicationSubCategory on SoftwareApplication as “Subcategory of the application, e.g. 'Arcade Game'.” That separate property describes a subcategory. Google's SoftwareApplication documentation supplies the supported strings for applicationCategory itself.

What should the JSON-LD look like?

Google's example uses GameApplication in an applicationCategory field on a SoftwareApplication object:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Angry Birds",
  "operatingSystem": "ANDROID",
  "applicationCategory": "GameApplication"
}

For a mobile or web app, Google documents MobileApplication and WebApplication as additional types. For a game represented only with VideoGame, Google's page says to co-type it with another type, such as MobileApplication, for Software App rich result eligibility.

Related terms

• What review or rating data does Google's software app markup require?
• What price should a free app declare in SoftwareApplication markup?
• How can SoftwareApplication markup specify operating system requirements?
• How should a game be typed for Google's software app result?

FAQ

Can I use my own category label?

Google's SoftwareApplication documentation gives a fixed list of supported app type strings. Schema.org permits Text or URL for the property, while Google's supported app documentation names the values it accepts for this feature.

Is MobileApplication an applicationCategory value?

Google documents MobileApplication as an additional SoftwareApplication type for mobile applications. It appears in the extended type guidance, while the applicationCategory list contains values such as GameApplication and BusinessApplication.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Software app (SoftwareApplication) structured data", 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "applicationCategory", 16 September 2026
3. Schema.org, "SoftwareApplication", 16 September 2026

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