WebSite schema, explained
WebSite describes the website as a whole. Google reads it on your home page to choose the site name shown in search results; name and url are required and alternateName is optional. The sitelinks search box it used to power was retired in November 2024.
What it's for
Schema.org's WebSite is "a set of related web pages and other items typically served from a single web domain". Google uses it for one thing: to indicate your preferred site name, the name shown next to your results. Google also looks at og:site_name, the <title> and headings on the home page, but says WebSite structured data is the most important of these signals.
Key properties
| Property | What it holds | |
|---|---|---|
name |
The site name you want shown. | Required |
url |
The canonical home page of the domain or subdomain, e.g. https://example.com/. |
Required |
alternateName |
A recognised acronym or shorter name; can be a list in order of preference. | Optional |
publisher |
The Organization behind the site, usually by @id. |
Not used for site names, but connects the graph |
inLanguage |
Language of the site. | Not used for site names |
potentialAction (SearchAction) |
Powered the sitelinks search box, which Google retired in November 2024. | No longer used |
Minimal example
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebSite",
"@id": "https://example.com/#website",
"name": "Example Co",
"alternateName": "EC",
"url": "https://example.com/",
"publisher": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" }
}
Common mistakes
- Putting it somewhere other than the home page. Google requires it on the domain-level or subdomain-level home page;
https://example.com/de/index.htmldoesn't count, and subdirectory sites aren't supported for site names. - A name that doesn't match your Organization name. Google's Organization guidance asks you to use the same name and alternateName as your site name.
- Different markup on duplicate home pages (http vs https, www vs non-www). Use the same structured data on each.
- Keeping a SearchAction because you think it still shows a search box. It doesn't; it's harmless but does nothing for Google.
Sources
- schema.org: WebSite
- Google Search Central: Site names, documentation updates (sitelinks search box removal, November 2024)