Learn · How-To

How to Add HowTo Schema Markup to Your Website

HowTo schema tells search engines that a page contains a sequence of steps toward completing a task — the same structure this very guide follows. Google no longer shows HowTo rich results in Search (it removed them from mobile and then desktop in 2023, and its HowTo documentation was removed on 14 September 2023), and there is no demonstrated evidence that AI assistants read JSON-LD specifically, so treat it as optional housekeeping, not a way to be extracted or cited. HowTo remains a valid schema.org type, and existing markup can safely stay in place.

1. 1

   Confirm your content is genuinely instructional

   HowTo schema is meant for content with a clear sequence of actionable steps toward a specific outcome, not general advice or opinion content.

2. 2

   Break your content into discrete, ordered steps

   Each step should have a short name and a self-contained explanation, similar to how a numbered guide is naturally structured.

3. 3

   Build the HowTo JSON-LD object

   Include "@type": "HowTo", a "name" for the overall guide, and a "step" array where each item is a "HowToStep" with its own "name" and "text".

4. 4

   Add "totalTime" using ISO 8601 duration format

   For example "PT2H" for two hours — a realistic time expectation in machine-readable form.

5. 5

   Include supply or tool requirements if relevant

   The "supply" and "tool" properties let you specify anything needed to complete the steps, where applicable.

6. 6

   Add the schema as JSON-LD in your page

   Matching the same implementation pattern as FAQPage or Article schema elsewhere on your site.

7. 7

   Validate the markup

   Use the Schema Markup Validator to confirm the HowTo markup parses correctly with all required fields present.