prepTime

prepTime · Recommended

Appears in

Recipe

What is it?

prepTime records how long it takes to prepare ingredients and workspace before cooking begins. This includes washing, chopping, measuring, and arranging everything needed for the recipe. The value uses ISO 8601 duration format.

Why this matters for AEO

When someone asks "how much prep work does this recipe need," AI answer engines extract prepTime to give a direct answer. This field helps engines distinguish quick weeknight recipes from multi-hour projects, which directly affects whether your recipe surfaces for queries like "easy 15 minute dinner prep."

What the specs say

Schema.org:Duration. The length of time it takes to prepare the items to be used in instructions or a direction, in ISO 8601 duration format. Source

Google: Recommended. "The length of time it takes to prepare ingredients and workspace for the dish." Source

Recipe inherits prepTime from the HowTo type, so it also applies to HowTo and HowToDirection schemas.

How to find your value

• Recipe card — The "Prep" time listed separately from cook time
• Actual timing — Time from first ingredient out of the fridge to ready-to-cook
• Cookbook — The preparation estimate in the recipe header

Convert to ISO 8601: 15 minutes = PT15M. 1 hour = PT1H. 30 minutes = PT30M.

Format and code

Type: Duration (ISO 8601)

Pattern:PT[hours]H[minutes]M

{
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "name": "Banana Bread",
  "prepTime": "PT20M"
}

• PT10M — 10 minutes
• PT20M — 20 minutes
• PT1H — 1 hour
• PT1H30M — 1 hour 30 minutes

Do not include cooking time or resting time. Those belong in cookTime and totalTime.

Webflow implementation

Static pages

Add to Page Settings > Custom Code (Before ):

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "name": "Banana Bread",
  "prepTime": "PT20M"
}
</script>

CMS template pages

Create a plain text CMS field called "Prep Time" with the ISO 8601 value (e.g., PT15M). Reference it:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "name": "{{wf {"path":"name","type":"PlainText"} }}",
  "prepTime": "{{wf {"path":"prep-time","type":"PlainText"} }}"
}
</script>

In Schema HQ

Field mapping pulls Webflow CMS prep time field and formats it as a valid ISO 8601 duration automatically. No need to manually write PT prefixed values.

Real examples

King Arthur Baking (source):

{
  "prepTime": "PT20M"
}

Love and Lemons (source):

{
  "prepTime": "PT15M"
}

Related fields

• cookTime records active cooking duration
• totalTime captures the full recipe duration
• recipeInstructions details each step of the recipe
• recipeIngredient lists what needs to be prepped

FAQ

Does prepTime affect recipe rich results?

Google lists prepTime as Recommended. While not required for eligibility, recipes with complete time data (prep, cook, total) display more information in rich results and give AI engines more data to work with when answering time-related queries.

Should prepTime include marinating or resting?

No. prepTime covers only active preparation work. Passive time like marinating, rising, or chilling should be accounted for in totalTime but not in prepTime.

What format does prepTime use?

ISO 8601 duration format. Always starts with PT followed by hours (H) and/or minutes (M). Examples: PT15M for 15 minutes, PT1H30M for 1 hour 30 minutes.