What are Google rich snippets?

16 October 2026 · By John Carlsson

Google rich snippets are search results that show extra details drawn from structured data on a page, such as a recipe's cooking time. Google's documentation now calls them rich results. Structured data, ideally in JSON-LD, makes a page eligible, but Google does not guarantee a rich result, and pages missing required properties or breaking the guidelines can be ineligible.

How do rich snippets differ from normal search results?

A standard Google result shows a title link, the URL and a short text snippet. A rich result adds extra detail taken from structured data on the page. Google uses a recipe as its example: structured data can describe the ingredients and the cooking time, and Google can use that to show a more engaging result. Rich snippets is the older, informal name many people still use. Google's own documentation calls them rich results.

Structured data is a standard way of describing the content of a page. Google says it uses this information to understand pages better, and that it can lead to rich results that are more engaging for users.

How does a page become eligible for a rich result?

You add structured data that describes what is on the page. Google supports three formats:

JSON-LD, which Google recommends because it sits apart from the visible text and is easier to maintain.
Microdata.
RDFa.

Most Search structured data uses the schema.org vocabulary, but Google says its Search Central documentation, not schema.org, is the authority on what it supports. Each rich result type has its own documentation with required and recommended properties.

Here is a short JSON-LD outline for a product page. It is only a starting shape, not a complete eligible example:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Example walking boot"
}
</script>

Why might Google not show a rich snippet for my page?

Adding markup makes a page eligible, but Google states it does not guarantee a rich result. Search may show a different feature or a plain text result instead. Common reasons a page is not eligible include:

Required properties are missing. Google says items without them are not eligible.
The markup describes content that is not visible on the page. Google says not to mark up content that readers cannot see.
The markup is misleading or not representative of the page, such as fake reviews.
The page is blocked from Googlebot by robots.txt, a noindex rule or another access control.

Google adds that a page can be ineligible for these reasons even if it passes the Rich Results Test. A serious structured data issue can lead to a manual action. That removes rich result eligibility but does not demote the page in normal web ranking, and you can check the Manual Actions report in Search Console.

Some rich result types have also been retired. For example, Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in Search from 7 May 2026, so FAQ markup no longer produces that feature.

How can you test and monitor rich results?

Google suggests using the Rich Results Test while you build your markup to see whether it is valid for a supported feature. After the page is live, the rich result status reports in Search Console show errors and warnings across your site, and the URL Inspection tool shows how Google sees a single page.

Good practice is to fix errors first, then add recommended properties where you have accurate data. Google says complete and accurate data is more useful than filling in every field. Recheck after template changes, because a theme update can quietly remove or break markup.

If you want to build or check JSON-LD before publishing, the AI Web Page SEO schema tools page can help you test your structured data.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Does structured data improve my normal rankings?

Google describes structured data as a way to help it understand a page and make it eligible for rich results, not as a ranking boost. Recommended properties can affect how rich results are ranked against each other. If a manual action is applied for structured data issues, the page loses rich result eligibility but is not demoted in regular web ranking.

Which format should I use to add structured data?

Google supports JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa, and all three work when the markup is valid and follows the feature documentation. Google recommends JSON-LD because it is separate from the visible text, easier to maintain and can be added dynamically. Whichever format you choose, it must describe content that readers can see on the page.