WebSite Schema – Complete Guide to Site-Wide Markup
WebSite schema markup provides search engines with comprehensive information about your entire website, enabling rich site links, search box integration, and enhanced site-wide search visibility.
What is WebSite Schema?
WebSite schema describes your entire website as a single entity. Unlike content-specific schemas that describe individual pages or products, WebSite schema gives search engines the big picture of your online presence.
Why WebSite Schema Matters
Most websites implement schemas for individual pages but forget the foundational WebSite markup. WebSite schema tells search engines what your site is about, who owns it, and how users can search within it directly from search results.
The key insight: WebSite schema is the foundation that makes all your other schemas more effective. It's the "table of contents" for your entire website.
What WebSite Schema Includes
SEO Benefits You Get
WebSite Schema Implementation
Complete WebSite Schema Example
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebSite",
"@id": "https://example.com/#website",
"url": "https://example.com",
"name": "Example Company",
"description": "Leading provider of innovative solutions for modern businesses and digital transformation",
"publisher": {
"@id": "https://example.com/#organization"
},
"copyrightHolder": {
"@id": "https://example.com/#organization"
},
"potentialAction": {
"@type": "SearchAction",
"target": {
"@type": "EntryPoint",
"urlTemplate": "https://example.com/search?q={search_term_string}"
},
"query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
},
"sameAs": [
"https://facebook.com/example",
"https://twitter.com/example",
"https://linkedin.com/company/example"
]
}
</script>Required vs Recommended Properties
Required Properties
- •
@type: Must be "WebSite" - •
url: Your site's main URL - •
name: Your site/brand name
Recommended Properties
- •
description: Site description - •
potentialAction: Search functionality - •
publisher: Organization info - •
sameAs: Social media profiles
Search Action Integration
The most powerful feature of WebSite schema is enabling search directly from Google results. When implemented correctly, users see a search box in your site's rich results.
Search Action Structure:
"potentialAction": {
"@type": "SearchAction",
"target": "https://example.com/search?q={search_term_string}",
"query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
}Important: The search URL must actually work on your site. Test it manually to ensure search results load properly.
WebSite Schema Best Practices
Implementation Strategy
- 📍Place on homepage only: WebSite schema should appear on your main page, not every page
- 🔗Use absolute URLs: Always include full URLs with https:// protocol
- 🏷️Match your brand: Use the exact name and description from your main branding
- 🔍Test search functionality: Ensure the search URL in potentialAction actually works
Advanced Features
Multi-language Support
"inLanguage": ["en", "es", "fr"]Copyright Information
"copyrightHolder": {"@id": "#organization"},
"copyrightYear": "2024"Site Navigation
"mainEntity": {"@id": "#breadcrumb"}Common WebSite Schema Mistakes
- ❌Wrong search URL: Using a non-functional search endpoint in potentialAction
- ❌Generic descriptions: Using boilerplate text instead of your actual site description
- ❌Missing Organization link: Not connecting to your Organization schema with @id references
- ❌On every page: Implementing WebSite schema on individual pages instead of just the homepage
Validate Your WebSite Schema
Test your WebSite schema implementation to ensure proper site-wide markup and search functionality.
Our comprehensive validation tool
Official Google testing tool
Related Schema Types
WebSite schema works with these foundational schemas for complete site representation.