WebSite

WebSite schema describes a website as a distinct entity, separate from the organization that runs it. While Organization schema says who you are, WebSite schema declares the web presence itself: its name, URL, language, and search functionality.

Google uses WebSite schema to determine the site name displayed in search results. Without it, Google infers the site name from <title> tags and other signals, which may not match what you want displayed.

When to use WebSite schema

Every site should have WebSite schema on the homepage. Best practice is to deploy it alongside Organization schema in a @graph array so Google can connect the site to the entity behind it.

WebSite schema goes in site-wide custom code (not per-page), since it describes the site as a whole.

Fields

Required

• name — The site name as it should appear in search results

Recommended

• url — The homepage URL of the website

Optional

• description — A short summary of what the website covers
• inLanguage — The primary language of the site content (BCP 47 code)
• potentialAction — SearchAction connecting to the site's internal search

Note on potentialAction: Google deprecated the Sitelinks Search Box rich result on November 21, 2024. The markup remains valid schema.org and does no harm, but it no longer triggers a visible Google feature.

JSON-LD example

Minimal WebSite:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Yoast",
  "url": "https://yoast.com/"
}

Complete WebSite with Organization in @graph:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://www.apple.com/#organization",
      "name": "Apple",
      "url": "https://www.apple.com/",
      "logo": "https://www.apple.com/ac/globalnav/7/en_US/images/be15095f-5a20-57d0-ad14-cf4c638e223a/globalnav_apple_image__b5er5ngrzxqq_large.svg"
    },
    {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://www.apple.com/#website",
      "name": "Apple",
      "url": "https://www.apple.com/",
      "publisher": {
        "@id": "https://www.apple.com/#organization"
      },
      "inLanguage": "en-US",
      "potentialAction": {
        "@type": "SearchAction",
        "target": "https://www.apple.com/us/search/{search_term_string}",
        "query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
      }
    }
  ]
}

The @id and publisher cross-reference links the WebSite to its Organization. This pattern is used by Apple, Yoast, and most major CMS plugins.

Webflow implementation

Place WebSite schema in Site Settings > Custom Code > Head Code so it loads on every page:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Your Site Name",
  "url": "https://yoursite.com",
  "inLanguage": "en-US"
}
</script>

With Schema HQ, WebSite schema is generated and published automatically through the Webflow custom code API. The site name, URL, language, and search action are configured in organization settings and applied site-wide.

Common patterns

Site name in search results: Google reads name from WebSite schema to display the site name in search results. If WebSite schema is missing, Google falls back to <title> tag heuristics, which may produce an incorrect or truncated site name.

Multilingual sites: For sites available in multiple languages, create one WebSite schema per language version. Set inLanguage to the appropriate BCP 47 code for each version.

Single-page sites: Even single-page sites benefit from WebSite schema. The name and url fields help Google display the correct site name in results.