HowTo

The HowTo type marks up step-by-step instructional content: tutorials, DIY guides, recipes, repair manuals, and any other procedural content that walks a reader through a task.

Google deprecated HowTo rich results in September 2023. The markup remains valid schema.org vocabulary and is still consumed by AI answer engines for generating structured procedural answers.

Fields

Not mentioned by Google

• step — Individual instructions that make up the how-to guide. Accepts HowToStep, HowToSection, or plain text.
• supply — Materials consumed during the task (paint, nails, sandpaper).
• tool — Equipment used but not consumed (wrench, drill, paintbrush).
• estimatedCost — Approximate cost of supplies, as MonetaryAmount or text.

JSON-LD example

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "Change a Flat Tire",
  "description": "How to safely change a flat tire on the side of the road.",
  "estimatedCost": {
    "@type": "MonetaryAmount",
    "currency": "USD",
    "value": "20"
  },
  "supply": [
    {"@type": "HowToSupply", "name": "Flares"},
    {"@type": "HowToSupply", "name": "Wheel wedges"}
  ],
  "tool": [
    {"@type": "HowToTool", "name": "Spare tire"},
    {"@type": "HowToTool", "name": "Lug wrench"},
    {"@type": "HowToTool", "name": "Jack"}
  ],
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "position": "1",
      "name": "Turn on hazard lights",
      "text": "Turn on your hazard lights and pull over to a flat, stable surface."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "position": "2",
      "name": "Secure the vehicle",
      "text": "Apply the parking brake and place wheel wedges behind the tires."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "position": "3",
      "name": "Loosen the lug nuts",
      "text": "Use the lug wrench to loosen each nut by turning counterclockwise."
    }
  ]
}

Notes

HowTo rich results were deprecated by Google in September 2023. AI answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) still parse HowTo markup to structure procedural answers. The step property is the core of any HowTo; supply, tool, and estimatedCost add material and cost context.