Star ratings in search results catch attention and build trust instantly. Review schema markup enables you to display ratings, review counts, and even individual reviews directly in Google search results.
This guide shows you how to implement Review schema properly while following Google’s guidelines.
What is Review Schema?
Review schema is structured data that describes reviews and ratings for items like products, services, businesses, or content. There are two main types:
Individual Review
A single review from one person:
{
"@type": "Review",
"reviewRating": { "@type": "Rating", "ratingValue": 5 },
"author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John" },
"reviewBody": "Excellent product!"
}Aggregate Rating
A summary of many reviews:
{
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": 4.5,
"reviewCount": 127
}Where Review Rich Results Appear
Star ratings can appear for:
- Products - E-commerce listings
- Local businesses - Service providers
- Recipes - Food content
- Books - Book reviews
- Courses - Educational content
- Movies - Film reviews
- Software applications - App reviews
Google’s Guidelines (Important!)
Google has strict rules about review markup:
Do
- Only mark up reviews that are genuinely from your users
- Display the reviews visibly on the page
- Use accurate rating values that match visible ratings
- Include reviews for the specific item on that page
Don’t
- Add fake or fabricated reviews
- Mark up reviews from third-party sites (unless you aggregate them legally)
- Use review schema for self-serving promotional content
- Mark up ratings for items not on the page
Violation can result in manual penalties and loss of all rich results.
Individual Review Schema
For a single detailed review:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Review",
"itemReviewed": {
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Wireless Bluetooth Headphones",
"image": "https://example.com/headphones.jpg"
},
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 5,
"bestRating": 5,
"worstRating": 1
},
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Sarah Johnson"
},
"datePublished": "2025-01-15",
"reviewBody": "These headphones exceeded my expectations. The noise cancellation is incredible, and the battery lasts all day. Highly recommended for anyone who works from home.",
"publisher": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Tech Reviews Daily"
}
}Aggregate Rating Schema
For overall ratings from multiple reviews:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Premium Coffee Maker",
"image": "https://example.com/coffee-maker.jpg",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": 4.7,
"bestRating": 5,
"worstRating": 1,
"ratingCount": 2847,
"reviewCount": 456
}
}Note the difference:
- ratingCount - Total number of ratings
- reviewCount - Number of written reviews
Complete Product with Reviews Example
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Running Shoes Pro",
"image": "https://example.com/shoes.jpg",
"description": "Professional running shoes with advanced cushioning",
"brand": {
"@type": "Brand",
"name": "SportTech"
},
"offers": {
"@type": "Offer",
"price": 129.99,
"priceCurrency": "USD",
"availability": "https://schema.org/InStock"
},
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": 4.6,
"reviewCount": 312
},
"review": [
{
"@type": "Review",
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 5
},
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Mike R."
},
"datePublished": "2025-01-10",
"reviewBody": "Best running shoes I've ever owned. Light, comfortable, and great support."
},
{
"@type": "Review",
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 4
},
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Lisa T."
},
"datePublished": "2025-01-08",
"reviewBody": "Very comfortable for long runs. Wish they came in more colors."
}
]
}Rating Scale
Always specify the rating scale:
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 4.5,
"bestRating": 5,
"worstRating": 1
}Common scales:
- 1-5 stars (most common)
- 1-10 points
- 1-100 percentage
Local Business Reviews
For service businesses:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Joe's Plumbing",
"image": "https://example.com/joes-plumbing.jpg",
"address": {
"@type": "PostalAddress",
"streetAddress": "123 Main St",
"addressLocality": "Austin",
"addressRegion": "TX"
},
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": 4.8,
"reviewCount": 156
},
"review": {
"@type": "Review",
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 5
},
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "David M."
},
"reviewBody": "Fast response, fair pricing, and excellent work. Will definitely use again."
}
}Review of a Website or Article
For editorial reviews:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Review",
"itemReviewed": {
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Example News Site",
"url": "https://example-news.com"
},
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 4,
"bestRating": 5
},
"author": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Media Critics Association"
},
"reviewBody": "Comprehensive coverage with minimal bias. Good source for breaking news."
}Critic vs User Reviews
Distinguish between professional critics and users:
Critic Review
{
"@type": "Review",
"author": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Film Critics Weekly"
},
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 4,
"bestRating": 5
}
}User Review
{
"@type": "Review",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "MovieFan123"
},
"reviewRating": {
"@type": "Rating",
"ratingValue": 5,
"bestRating": 5
}
}Pros and Cons
Add structured pros and cons:
{
"@type": "Review",
"itemReviewed": {
"@type": "Product",
"name": "Smart Watch Pro"
},
"positiveNotes": {
"@type": "ItemList",
"itemListElement": [
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Excellent battery life" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Accurate fitness tracking" }
]
},
"negativeNotes": {
"@type": "ItemList",
"itemListElement": [
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Expensive" },
{ "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Limited app selection" }
]
}
}Common Mistakes
1. Self-Promotional Reviews
Writing fake reviews about your own products is a violation.
2. Invisible Reviews
Reviews in schema must be visible on the page.
3. Aggregating Third-Party Reviews
Don’t aggregate reviews from Google, Yelp, or Amazon unless you have proper licensing.
4. Rating Mismatch
Schema ratings must match visible ratings on the page.
5. Missing Author Information
Anonymous reviews without any author data may not be eligible.
Generate Your Review Schema
Use our free Review Schema Generator to create valid markup for your reviews.
Enter your:
- Item being reviewed
- Rating value and scale
- Reviewer information
- Review text
Get properly formatted JSON-LD ready to add to your review pages.
Measuring Impact
Track these metrics:
Search Console
- Rich result appearances
- Click-through rate for pages with ratings
- Any manual actions related to reviews
Analytics
- Traffic to product/review pages
- Conversion rates
- Time on page
Conclusion
Review schema can significantly boost your search visibility with eye-catching star ratings. But it requires genuine reviews displayed prominently on your pages.
Focus on collecting authentic reviews from real customers. Implement schema correctly, matching your visible ratings. Monitor Search Console for any issues.
Start with your most reviewed products or services, and expand across your site as you collect more genuine feedback.
Need help implementing review collection and schema? I can help you create a review strategy and implement proper structured data. Get in touch for a consultation.