AI search glossary
Rich results: what they are and how structured data earns them
Rich results are Google search listings that show more than a blue link and snippet, such as review stars, prices, breadcrumbs, event dates or recipe details. Structured data on the page, usually schema.org markup in JSON-LD, makes a page eligible for them.
Also called: rich snippets, rich result, enhanced results, Google rich results
Why it matters for AI search
Google says no special schema is needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, so rich result markup is not a ticket into AI answers. It still helps in two ways: the work of marking up prices, ratings and organization facts forces those facts to be stated clearly on the page, and Google asks that markup match the visible text. Clear, consistent facts are what AI engines can lift into an answer.
How rich results work
A normal search result has a title link, a URL and a text snippet. A rich result adds structured details pulled from markup on the page. Google's introduction to structured data calls these more engaging results that may encourage people to interact with your site.
You add schema markup that describes the page in a way Google can parse, for example a Product with a price and availability, or a BreadcrumbList that shows where the page sits in your site. Google recommends JSON-LD, though it also accepts Microdata and RDFa.
Markup makes a page eligible, not guaranteed. Each feature has required properties, and Google says pages missing them might be ineligible for rich result display.
Types Google supports today
Google's search gallery lists the structured data features it currently supports. Common ones for business sites include:
- Product for price, availability and shipping details (see Product schema).
- Review snippet for star ratings (see Review schema).
- Breadcrumb for the page path (see Breadcrumb schema).
- Organization and Local business for company details (see Organization schema).
- Article, Video, Event, Recipe, Job posting and Software app for content of those kinds.
The list changes. FAQ and HowTo are no longer in the gallery; the full history of the FAQ rich result is covered in FAQ schema. Check the gallery before investing in a new type.
What it means for AI search
Google's AI features documentation says there are no additional technical requirements for AI Overviews and AI Mode, and that no special schema.org structured data is needed. It also says structured data should match the visible text on the page.
So rich result markup is not a shortcut into AI answers. Its value for AI visibility is indirect: marking up a product forces you to state its price, availability and brand plainly, and those visible facts are what an AI engine can quote. Markup that disagrees with the page helps neither humans nor machines.
How to test and monitor
- Run key templates through the Rich Results Test, which validates markup and previews some features.
- Use the URL Inspection tool to confirm Google found the structured data on a live URL.
- After launch, watch the rich result status reports in Search Console. Template or serving changes can break markup silently.
- Fix missing required properties first, then recommended ones.
Related ideas
Rich results sit next to other enhanced search features such as the featured snippet and People Also Ask, which Google builds from page text rather than markup. For link previews outside Google, see Open Graph.
Questions
- Does adding structured data guarantee a rich result?
- No. Valid markup with all required properties makes a page eligible. Google decides whether to show the rich result, and missing required properties can make the page ineligible.
- Which format should I use for rich result markup?
- Google recommends JSON-LD and says JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa are all equally fine as long as the markup is valid. JSON-LD is usually the easiest to maintain at scale.
- Are FAQ rich results still available?
- No. Google stopped showing the FAQ rich result in May 2026, and HowTo rich results were removed in 2023. Neither appears in Google's current search gallery.
- Do rich results help with AI Overviews?
- Not directly. Google says no special structured data is required for its AI features. It does ask that structured data match the visible content, and clear facts on the page help both.