courseCode

courseCode · Not mentioned by Google

Appears in

Course

What is it?

The identifier that a course provider assigns to a course. courseCode holds catalog numbers like "CS101," "6.001," or "F300" that students and registrars use to reference a specific course. This is not a universal ID; it is the provider's own internal code.

Universities, coding bootcamps, and professional training platforms all assign course codes. This field captures that identifier in a machine readable format.

Why this matters for AEO

When a student asks "What is MIT 6.001?" or "Tell me about Bristol course F300," AI engines match the query directly against courseCode values. Without this field, the engine has to parse the course title and hope the code appears somewhere in the text. Structured course codes produce exact matches for catalog number queries.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Text. The identifier for the Course used by the course provider (e.g. CS101 or 6.001). schema.org/courseCode

Google: Not mentioned. This field is not listed in Google's structured data documentation for Course. Google Course docs

How to find your value

• Course catalog — Listed next to the course title (e.g., "CS 101: Intro to Computer Science")
• Registrar system — Student information system or enrollment portal
• Syllabus — Header or footer of the course syllabus document
• Learning management system — Course settings or metadata panel

Format and code

courseCode accepts a plain text string.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Course",
  "name": "Physics",
  "courseCode": "F300",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "University of Bristol",
    "url": "https://www.bristol.ac.uk"
  }
}

For courses with department prefixes:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Course",
  "name": "Introduction to Computer Science",
  "courseCode": "6.001",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
  }
}

Use the exact code format that the institution publishes. If the catalog lists "CS 101" with a space, use "CS 101." If it lists "CS101" without a space, use "CS101."

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add courseCode inside the Course JSON-LD block in Page Settings > Custom Code (Before ):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Course",
  "name": "Organic Chemistry I",
  "courseCode": "CHEM 261",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "University of Michigan"
  }
}
</script>

CMS template pages

Map a CMS plain text field to courseCode. Store the value exactly as it appears in the course catalog.

In Schema HQ

courseCode is output in Course schema generation. Enter the catalog code once and it publishes alongside the course name and provider in the JSON-LD output.

Real examples

University of Bristol (from schema.org/Course official example):

{
  "@type": "Course",
  "courseCode": "F300",
  "name": "Physics",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "University of Bristol"
  }
}

MIT OpenCourseWare (ocw.mit.edu/courses/6-0001-introduction-to-computer-science-and-programming-in-python-fall-2016/):

{
  "@type": "Course",
  "name": "Introduction to Computer Science",
  "courseCode": "6.001",
  "provider": {
    "@type": "CollegeOrUniversity",
    "name": "Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
  }
}

Related fields

• name — the course title that accompanies the code
• provider — the organization that assigned the course code
• educationalLevel — the difficulty level of the course
• description — what the course covers

FAQ

Should courseCode include the department prefix?

Use whatever format the institution publishes. If MIT lists the course as "6.001," use "6.001." If another school lists "CS 101," use "CS 101." Consistency with the official catalog matters more than any specific formatting convention.

Does Google show courseCode in search results?

Google does not list courseCode in its Course structured data documentation. The code will not appear as a rich result element. AI engines can still match it against queries that reference specific catalog numbers.