applicationCategory

applicationCategory · Recommended

Appears in

• SoftwareApplication

What is it?

applicationCategory classifies a software product into a recognized category. Search engines and AI systems use this value to match apps against user queries like "best finance app" or "free game for Android." The value must be one of Google's supported category strings.

Why this matters for AEO

When a user asks an AI engine "What are the best project management tools?", the engine filters SoftwareApplication entities by applicationCategory set to BusinessApplication. Without this field, the app competes in a generic pool. With it, the app surfaces in category-specific answers where conversion intent is highest.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Text or URL. Type of software application, e.g. 'Game, Multimedia'. View on schema.org

Google: Recommended. "The type of app (for example, BusinessApplication or GameApplication). The value must be a supported app type." View on Google

How to find your value

• SaaS tools, CRMs, project management — BusinessApplication
• Games — GameApplication
• Social media platforms — SocialNetworkingApplication
• Booking, maps, trip planners — TravelApplication
• E-commerce, marketplaces — ShoppingApplication
• Fitness, sports tracking — SportsApplication
• Habit trackers, journals — LifestyleApplication
• Design tools, editors — DesignApplication
• IDEs, code editors, dev tools — DeveloperApplication
• Learning platforms, courses — EducationalApplication
• Medical, wellness apps — HealthApplication
• Banking, budgeting, trading — FinanceApplication
• VPNs, password managers — SecurityApplication
• Web browsers — BrowserApplication
• Messaging, email, video calls — CommunicationApplication
• Streaming, media players — EntertainmentApplication
• Audio/video editors, media tools — MultimediaApplication
• Smart home control — HomeApplication
• Calculators, converters, tools — UtilitiesApplication
• Dictionaries, encyclopedias — ReferenceApplication

Google accepts only these enumerated values. Using a value outside this list (like "ProductivityApplication") means Google ignores the field.

Format and code

The value is a plain text string matching one of Google's supported categories. You can also use a schema.org URL (e.g., https://schema.org/GameApplication), but text strings are standard practice.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Angry Birds",
  "applicationCategory": "GameApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "ANDROID",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": 4.6,
    "ratingCount": 8864
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": 1.00,
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

Valid values:

"applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication"
"applicationCategory": "GameApplication"
"applicationCategory": "FinanceApplication"

Invalid values (not in Google's supported list):

"applicationCategory": "Productivity"
"applicationCategory": "Tools"
"applicationCategory": "SaaS"

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add directly in Page Settings > Custom Code (Before </body> tag):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Notion",
  "applicationCategory": "BusinessApplication",
  "operatingSystem": "Windows, macOS, iOS, Android",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": 0,
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}
</script>

CMS template pages

If your Webflow CMS has an "App Category" field, reference it inside your template's custom code. The CMS field value must match one of Google's supported strings exactly.

In Schema HQ

Your CMS category field to applicationCategory and validates the value against Google's supported list before publishing. No manual JSON editing required. is mapped automatically

Real examples

Angry Birds (from Google's official documentation):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SoftwareApplication",
  "name": "Angry Birds",
  "operatingSystem": "ANDROID",
  "applicationCategory": "GameApplication",
  "aggregateRating": {
    "@type": "AggregateRating",
    "ratingValue": 4.6,
    "ratingCount": 8864
  },
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "price": 1.00,
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

Cookie Creator (from darrenlester.com):

{
  "@context": "http://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebApplication",
  "name": "Cookie Creator",
  "url": "https://www.darrenscookies.com/cookie-creator",
  "applicationCategory": "Game",
  "softwareVersion": "1.0.0",
  "operatingSystem": "All"
}

Note: Cookie Creator uses the bare value "Game" rather than "GameApplication". While schema.org accepts freeform text, Google's documentation specifies the *Application suffix format.

Related fields

• operatingSystem — Platform the app runs on
• offers — Pricing and availability
• name — The app name displayed in search results
• aggregateRating — Star ratings shown in Software rich results
• downloadUrl — Direct link to install or download

FAQ

What happens if I use a category Google does not support?

Google ignores unrecognized applicationCategory values. The rest of your SoftwareApplication markup still works, but you lose category-specific matching in search results.

Should I use the text string or the schema.org URL?

Use the text string (e.g., "GameApplication"). Google's documentation and examples all use text values. The URL format ("https://schema.org/GameApplication") is valid per schema.org but adds no benefit for Google.

Can I specify multiple categories?

Schema.org allows it, but Google's documentation shows single values only. Pick the most accurate category for your app.