description

description · Not mentioned by Google

Appears in

LocalBusiness · Organization · Product · WebSite

What is it?

A short text summary of what a business, product, or website does. For LocalBusiness schema, description provides search engines and AI assistants with a human-readable explanation of the business beyond just its name and address.

Google does not list description on its LocalBusiness structured data page, but the field is inherited from Thing and widely used in real-world implementations. It should match or closely reflect the visible content on the page.

Why this matters for AEO

When a user asks "What does [business name] do?" or "Tell me about [business]," AI engines pull the description field to generate a concise answer. Without it, the AI must scrape and summarize page content, which often produces less accurate or less focused responses.

What the specs say

Schema.org: Text, TextObject. A description of the item. schema.org/description

Google: Not mentioned. Field not listed in Google's structured data documentation for LocalBusiness. Google LocalBusiness docs

How to find your value

• Homepage meta description — Often a good starting point
• Google Business Profile — Your GBP short description
• About page — First paragraph, condensed
• Elevator pitch — One to two sentences explaining what you do and for whom

Keep it under 300 characters. Focus on what the business does, not marketing superlatives.

Format and code

Plain text string. No HTML tags.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Beachwalk Beachwear & Giftware",
  "description": "A superb collection of fine gifts and clothing to accent your stay in Mexico Beach."
}

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add description directly in your JSON-LD block with a hardcoded summary of the business.

CMS template pages

Map to a CMS plain text or textarea field:

"description": "{{wf {"path":"meta-description"} }}"

In Schema HQ

The description field appears in your organization schema output. Set it once in organization settings and it publishes across all pages.

Real examples

Beachwalk Beachwear & Giftware (from schema.org/LocalBusiness):

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "LocalBusiness",
  "name": "Beachwalk Beachwear & Giftware",
  "description": "A superb collection of fine gifts and clothing to accent your stay in Mexico Beach.",
  "telephone": "850-648-4200"
}

Related fields

• name · the business name this description explains
• url · link to the full website
• image · visual representation of the business
• sameAs · social profiles that expand on the description
• inSupportOf — the cause or issue this action supports
• slogan — a short memorable phrase for the organization or product

FAQ

Does description affect Google rich results for LocalBusiness?

Google does not list description as a recognized field for LocalBusiness rich results. However, the field helps AI engines and other consumers of structured data understand the business. Including it carries no penalty and provides additional context.

How long should the description be?

Keep it between 50 and 300 characters. One to two sentences covering what the business does and where. Avoid keyword stuffing or repeating the business name.