Which video interaction counts can be declared for Google?

Definition: In VideoObject structured data, interactionStatistic contains an InteractionCounter that identifies an interaction and records its userInteractionCount. Google's VideoObject documentation lists WatchAction, LikeAction, CommentAction, and ShareAction for this video statistic.

Key facts

• Google's VideoObject documentation describes interactionStatistic as an InteractionCounter for user statistics applied to a video, when applicable.
• The documented action types are WatchAction for watches, LikeAction for likes or upvotes, CommentAction for comments, and ShareAction for reshares.
• userInteractionCount has type Integer and records the number of times the interaction was performed.
• Schema.org defines interactionType as an Action that represents the type of interaction, while its userInteractionCount property describes the number of interactions for the CreativeWork using the website or application. Schema.org's InteractionCounter reference supplies this vocabulary context.
• Google says it changed its documentation in October 2019 to recommend interactionStatistic instead of interactionCount, while continuing to support the older property.

Which action types does Google support?

Google's VideoObject property table names four supported values for interactionStatistic.interactionType. WatchAction counts the number of times the video has been watched. LikeAction counts likes or upvotes, CommentAction counts comments, and ShareAction counts reshares.

The action identifies what the number measures. A watch total therefore uses WatchAction; a likes or upvotes total uses LikeAction; a comments total uses CommentAction; and a reshares total uses ShareAction.

Where does the count go?

The counter is nested under the video's interactionStatistic property. Google's example uses InteractionCounter, places WatchAction inside interactionType, and puts the numeric total in userInteractionCount:

"interactionStatistic": {
  "@type": "InteractionCounter",
  "interactionType": {
    "@type": "WatchAction"
  },
  "userInteractionCount": 12345
}

Schema.org describes userInteractionCount as an integer containing the number of interactions for the CreativeWork using the WebSite or SoftwareApplication. The action and the count describe one statistic, so the value in userInteractionCount must correspond to the action named in the same counter.

Does Google still support interactionCount?

Google's VideoObject documentation says that, starting October 2019, its documentation recommends interactionStatistic instead of interactionCount. The same note says Google continues to support interactionCount and recommends interactionStatistic moving forward.

Schema.org gives interactionType the broader type Action. Its property reference says to use LikeAction for up votes, DislikeAction for down votes, and the most specific action otherwise. Google's VideoObject table supplies the narrower set for this markup type, so a video statistic follows Google's four listed values.

How should a site map its visible totals?

A visible number labelled views or plays maps to WatchAction under Google's descriptions. A likes or upvotes total maps to LikeAction, a comments total maps to CommentAction, and a reshares total maps to ShareAction. Each value belongs in its own InteractionCounter when the page has that statistic to report.

Related terms

• What thumbnail data does Google require for VideoObject markup?
• How do I add key moments to a video with structured data?
• How is video duration expressed in structured data?
• How do contentUrl and embedUrl differ in VideoObject?

FAQ

Can you use DislikeAction for a Google video interaction count?

Google's VideoObject table lists WatchAction, LikeAction, CommentAction, and ShareAction. Schema.org documents DislikeAction for down votes in its general interactionType vocabulary, but that value is outside Google's listed VideoObject set.

Do you put the number inside interactionType?

No. interactionType identifies the action, while userInteractionCount carries the integer for that interaction in the same InteractionCounter.

Can you keep using interactionCount?

Yes. Google's documentation says it continues to support interactionCount, and its current recommendation is interactionStatistic.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Video (VideoObject, Clip, BroadcastEvent) structured data", 24 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "InteractionCounter", n.d.
3. Schema.org, "interactionType", n.d.

---

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