# Structured data

> Structured data is a standardized way of labeling webpage content - using formats like JSON-LD or microdata - so that search and answer engines can read and interpret what a page is about without guessing.

_Source: https://nobi.ai/glossary/structured-data_

## What is Structured data?

Search engines and AI answer systems parse plain HTML with limited confidence about meaning. Structured data adds explicit labels - product name, price, rating, FAQ pairs - that remove ambiguity. These labels follow shared vocabularies, most commonly Schema.org, which major search engines and AI platforms recognize. When a page includes valid structured data, it becomes eligible for enhanced search features like rich results, knowledge panels, and cited AI answers.

## How does structured data work?

- A developer (or platform) adds a JSON-LD script block to the page's HTML, or embeds microdata attributes directly in the markup.
- That block describes the content using Schema.org types - for example, Product, FAQPage, or Review.
- When a crawler indexes the page, it reads the structured labels and stores them alongside the page content.
- Search and AI systems can then surface that information in answer boxes, carousels, or voice responses without needing to re-parse unstructured prose.

## Why does it matter?

For an ecommerce operator, valid structured data is one of the highest-leverage technical investments available - it can turn a standard product page into a rich search result showing price, availability, and star ratings before a shopper even clicks. For a dealership, FAQ and vehicle schema can push inventory answers directly into search results, reducing inbound calls for basic questions. As AI-generated answer engines become a larger share of search traffic, pages with well-formed structured data are far more likely to be cited as sources.

[Nobi](https://dashboard.nobi.ai) emits structured data for shopper Q&A interactions, which improves a page's eligibility to appear in rich results and AI-generated answers - giving your content more surface area in search without additional copywriting.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the difference between JSON-LD and microdata?**
JSON-LD is a separate script block added to the page head or body - it does not touch the visible HTML. Microdata embeds attributes directly into existing HTML elements. Google and most AI platforms prefer JSON-LD because it is easier to maintain and less likely to break when the page design changes.

**Does structured data directly improve search rankings?**
Structured data does not directly boost rankings in the traditional sense, but it makes pages eligible for rich results and featured answer placements, which tend to get higher click-through rates. It also helps AI answer engines attribute information correctly to your site.

**Which Schema.org types matter most for ecommerce?**
Product (with offers, price, and availability), Review and AggregateRating, FAQPage, and BreadcrumbList are the highest-value types for most online stores. Automotive dealers also benefit from Vehicle schema and LocalBusiness markup for their location pages.