What is SoftwareApplication schema?

SoftwareApplication schema, explained

Google's software app documentation lists the required properties: name, an offers object with a price (use 0 for free apps, and add priceCurrency for paid ones), and either aggregateRating or review, which must follow the review snippet guidelines. Recommended properties are applicationCategory, such as BusinessApplication or DeveloperApplication, and operatingSystem.

You can use the base SoftwareApplication type or its subtypes. Google supports MobileApplication and WebApplication, and VideoGame when co-typed with another type. A SaaS product is usually a WebApplication, with operatingSystem set to something like "Web" or the platforms you support.

The rating requirement is the catch for new products. Without real ratings or reviews shown on the page, the markup isn't eligible for the rich result, and inventing ratings breaks Google's guidelines. It's still worth adding the markup with accurate name, price and category, because it describes your product clearly to search engines, and you can add ratings when you have them. Keep prices in the markup in sync with your pricing page; generating them from the same source avoids drift.

We used SoftwareApplication markup on our own product as part of its technical base, and this site generates it on every launched product's page from the launch data, so name, category and pricing always match what's shown.

Why it matters for founders

For a startup, this is the structured data type that describes what you actually sell. It's the right choice over Product for most software.

Example

Your SaaS page outputs WebApplication markup with applicationCategory: BusinessApplication, operatingSystem: Web, a free plan as offers.price: 0 and an aggregateRating from in-app reviews shown on the page.

Common mistakes

• Fake or copied ratings to meet the requirement.
• Prices that don't match the pricing page.
• Using Product for a SaaS app.
• Leaving out offers because the app is free.