What is schema markup for AI?
Also called: structured data, JSON-LD
Definition
Schema markup is structured data, usually written as JSON-LD using the schema.org vocabulary, that describes the facts on a page, such as an organization, product, price, review or FAQ, in a machine-readable format. It helps search engines and AI systems interpret those facts without guessing.
Explained
Search engines use schema to understand entities and to power rich results. Its direct effect on AI answers is less documented: AI engines mostly read the visible text of retrieved pages. Schema is still worth adding because it supports indexing and entity understanding, which feed into retrieval.
The most useful types for brands are Organization (with sameAs links to official profiles), Product or SoftwareApplication (with offers), LocalBusiness for physical locations, FAQPage for real FAQs, and Article for editorial content. Marked-up facts should always match the visible page.
Example
A dental clinic adds LocalBusiness schema with its address, opening hours and services, matching its Google Business Profile exactly, so every system that reads it sees the same facts.