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hasCertification
hasCertification · Optional
Appears in
What is it?
hasCertification links an organization, person, product, place, or service to one or more formal certifications it holds. A certification is a credential issued by an authoritative body that verifies a specific standard has been met, such as ISO 9001 for quality management, organic certification from the USDA, or food safety certification from a national authority.
The field expects a Certification object, not a plain text string, which allows structured representation of who issued the certification, what it covers, and when it was granted.
Why this matters for AEO
Certifications are high-confidence trust signals. When AI answer engines evaluate which organizations to surface in response to queries about qualified suppliers, accredited service providers, or certified products, structured certification data gives them machine-readable evidence rather than claims buried in body text. A query like "ISO-certified document management companies" can be answered more precisely when organizations declare hasCertification with an ISO-typed value. For E-E-A-T purposes, certifications demonstrate verified expertise that third-party bodies have confirmed, which is stronger evidence than self-reported qualifications in unstructured content.
What the specs say
Schema.org:hasCertification expects a Certification object. It provides certification information about a product, organization, service, place, or person. [Source: https://schema.org/hasCertification]
Google: Not mentioned. This field is not listed in Google's structured data documentation for Organization. [https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/organization]
How to find your value
Certifications to include:
- ISO certifications: Check your ISO certificate document for the standard number, issuing body (often a national certification body like BSI, DNV, or Bureau Veritas), and certificate number.
- Industry certifications: Trade associations, sector regulators, and professional bodies issue certificates that typically include a registration number and expiry date.
- Government certifications: USDA Organic, FDA registration, GSA schedules, and similar programs have lookup tools where you can verify your certificate details.
- Sustainability certifications: B Corp, LEED, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and similar programs publish their certified organization directories online.
For each certification, gather: the certification name, the issuing organization's name and URL, your certificate identifier or registration number, and the date range of validity.
Format and code
The Certification type supports several properties. The most useful for structured data purposes are name, url, issuedBy, certificationIdentification, and validFrom/validUntil.
Basic certification:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Maersk",
"url": "https://www.maersk.com",
"hasCertification": {
"@type": "Certification",
"name": "ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System",
"url": "https://www.iso.org/standard/60857.html",
"issuedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Bureau Veritas",
"url": "https://www.bureauveritas.com"
}
}
}
Multiple certifications using an array:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "Patagonia",
"url": "https://www.patagonia.com",
"hasCertification": [
{
"@type": "Certification",
"name": "B Corporation Certification",
"url": "https://www.bcorporation.net",
"issuedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "B Lab",
"url": "https://www.bcorporation.net"
}
},
{
"@type": "Certification",
"name": "bluesign SYSTEM PARTNER",
"url": "https://www.bluesign.com",
"issuedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "bluesign technologies ag",
"url": "https://www.bluesign.com"
}
}
]
}
Certification with identifier and validity dates:
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "SGS SA",
"hasCertification": {
"@type": "Certification",
"name": "ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System",
"certificationIdentification": "CH-QM-2023-0047",
"validFrom": "2023-03-15",
"validUntil": "2026-03-14",
"issuedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "TÜV SÜD",
"url": "https://www.tuvsud.com"
}
}
}
Webflow implementation
Static pages
For organizations with a fixed set of certifications, add the JSON-LD directly in the <head> section of your About or Homepage via Page Settings > Custom Code. Update the code whenever a certification expires or a new one is added.
CMS template pages
For sites that manage multiple certified entities (a marketplace of certified vendors, for instance), create a CMS Collection for certifications with fields for certification name, issuing body name, issuing body URL, certificate ID, and date fields. Bind these CMS fields into a JSON-LD script using Webflow's CMS embed functionality on template pages.
In Schema HQ
The organization schema editor supports hasCertification as a nested object field. Add each certification through the editor interface, specifying the name, issuing body, and identifier. Schema HQ publishes the resulting JSON-LD to your Webflow site's custom code, keeping certification data centralized and auditable.
Real examples
IKEA (IWAY supplier standard):
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "IKEA Supply AG",
"hasCertification": {
"@type": "Certification",
"name": "IWAY Standard Certification",
"url": "https://www.ikea.com/global/en/our-business/sourcing/supply-chain/",
"issuedBy": {
"@type": "Organization",
"name": "IKEA",
"url": "https://www.ikea.com"
}
}
}
Related fields
FAQ
What is the difference between hasCertification and hasCredential?
hasCertification is for formal, third-party verified certifications issued by standards bodies or regulatory authorities. hasCredential covers educational credentials and professional qualifications awarded to a person or organization. A company's ISO 9001 certificate belongs in hasCertification; a person's MBA degree belongs in hasCredential.
Can I use a plain URL instead of a Certification object?
The schema.org specification defines hasCertification as expecting a Certification object, not a URL or text string. Providing a plain URL would be invalid markup. At minimum, include "@type": "Certification" and "name" alongside any URL.
Should I include expired certifications?
Only include certifications that are currently valid. If a certification has a defined expiry date, use the validUntil property and remove or update the entry when it lapses. Outdated certification claims in structured data can mislead both users and AI systems.
