Review Schema
Review schema is structured data markup that allows a website to display review snippets — star ratings and review counts — directly in Google search results, improving click-through rates.
Reviewed by Alexander Yarovenko · Updated: 2026-09-22
What is Review Schema?
Review schema (formally Review or AggregateRating in Schema.org) is structured data that enables a website to communicate review and rating information to search engines in a machine-readable format. When properly implemented, Google can display star ratings and review counts directly in the SERP as part of a rich snippet, significantly improving visual prominence and CTR.
Review Schema Types
| Type | Use case | Schema.org type |
|---|---|---|
| Individual review | A single person's review of a product, service, or business | Review |
| Aggregate rating | Average of all reviews (star rating + count) | AggregateRating |
Google's Review Schema Guidelines
- Reviews must be genuinely written by real users of the product/service — not by the site owner or paid reviewers
- Review snippet policies vary by entity type: products, recipes, books, movies, apps, and local businesses have different eligibility rules
- Self-serving reviews (site reviewing its own products with perfect scores) may not be eligible for rich snippets
- Google has strict policies against fake or incentivised reviews
AggregateRating Example (JSON-LD)
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "SEO Tool Pro",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.8",
"bestRating": "5",
"worstRating": "1",
"reviewCount": "1247"
}
}
</script>Impact of Review Rich Snippets
Studies consistently show that star rating rich snippets can increase CTR by 15–30% compared to plain blue links for the same position. For e-commerce and local businesses, review schema is one of the highest-ROI technical SEO implementations available.
Technical decision
| Correct use | Mark up reviews users can read and that concern the eligible item on the page; never manufacture ratings or aggregate unrelated feedback. |
|---|---|
| Validation | Validate itemReviewed, author, rating scale and visible text, then inspect enhancement errors without assuming a rich result will appear. |