How to add review schema
Those gold stars under a search result come from review schema. Add it to the ratings you genuinely display and your listing gets more eye-catching — and more clicked.
Review schema (and its aggregateRating summary) is JSON-LD that marks up customer ratings you show on the page, so Google can display star ratings in the search result. It's usually nested inside your LocalBusiness or Product markup.
The one hard rule: only mark up ratings that are actually visible on the page. Google's policy prohibits fabricated or self-serving review markup, and enforces it with manual actions.
Why it matters
A star rating in the search result is one of the highest-impact rich results for click-through — it draws the eye and signals trust before the visitor even clicks. But it has to be earned honestly: real, on-page reviews only.
How to tell if this is you
Abby flags “Review Schema” when a page shows reviews or a rating but doesn't mark them up (or when markup is present without visible reviews). The fix is aligning genuine on-page reviews with matching schema.
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Scan my site freeThe fix
If you genuinely display customer reviews or an aggregate rating on the page, mark them up with Review / aggregateRating schema (ratingValue, reviewCount) nested in your LocalBusiness JSON-LD so star ratings can appear in search. Only mark up ratings that are actually shown on the page — fabricated or self-serving review markup violates Google policy.
Before
<!-- Star ratings shown on the page, but no Review / aggregateRating schema -->
After
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "LocalBusiness",
"name": "Example Heating & Air",
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.8",
"reviewCount": "127"
}
}
</script>
Fix it on your platform
WordPress
Use a reviews plugin that outputs schema (WP Review, Site Reviews) or Rank Math review blocks, and make sure the rating shown matches the markup.
Shopify
Use a reviews app (Judge.me, Loox) that injects aggregateRating schema, or add it manually to your LocalBusiness JSON-LD.
When this doesn’t apply
Only mark up reviews you genuinely display on the page. A business with no published reviews should earn them first (e.g. via its Google Business Profile) rather than add empty or placeholder rating markup.
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Get my fix planFAQ
Can I add review schema without showing reviews on the page?
No. Google requires the ratings to be visible on the page you mark up. Adding aggregateRating with no on-page reviews violates the structured-data policy and can trigger a manual action.
What is the difference between Review and aggregateRating?
A Review marks up a single review (author, rating, text). aggregateRating summarises many into an average ratingValue and reviewCount. Most businesses show the aggregate, and may also mark up individual reviews.
I have no reviews yet — what should I do?
Earn them first — most easily through your Google Business Profile — then mark up what you display. Never add placeholder or invented ratings to manufacture stars.