Schema stack

    Course Marketplace Stack

    Course catalog/category pages with ItemList of courses and instances, FAQs, and breadcrumb context.

    Included schema
    Item List
    Course
    Course Instance
    Frequently Asked Questions
    Breadcrumb
    Fit

    When to use this stack

    • Course catalog pages listing multiple courses or cohorts
    • Category pages that need structured lists plus schedule details
    • Pages where FAQs clarify formats, pacing, and enrollment policies
    Composition

    What is included

    • Structures the list of courses and cohorts on the catalog page.

    • Defines each course with provider, outcomes, and linked instances.

    • Represents scheduled cohorts with dates, mode, and location.

    • Answers enrollment, refund, and pacing questions.

    • Provides navigation context for the catalog page.

    Data contract

    Properties across the bundle

    Nested properties keep their parent path, such as offers.priceCurrency. Only publish values that match visible page content.

    Required properties

    • courseMode
    • description
    • hasCourseInstance[].@id
    • itemListElement[].item.@id
    • itemListElement[].name
    • itemListElement[].position
    • location.name
    • mainEntity[].@type=Question
    • mainEntity[].acceptedAnswer.text
    • name
    • provider.@id
    • startDate

    Recommended properties

    • courseCode
    • educationalCredentialAwarded
    • endDate
    • instructor.name
    • itemListElement[].item
    • itemListElement[].name
    • itemListOrder
    • learningResourceType
    • mainEntity[].acceptedAnswer.text
    • mainEntity[].author.name
    • mainEntity[].name
    • numberOfItems
    • offers.price
    • offers.priceCurrency
    • offers.url
    • timeRequired
    • url
    Copy-ready example

    Combined JSON-LD

    Paste this as one script tag, then replace every example value with data from the live page.

    [
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "ItemList",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/data#list",
        "itemListOrder": "https://schema.org/ItemListUnordered",
        "numberOfItems": 2,
        "itemListElement": [
          {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 1,
            "name": "Data Analytics Foundations",
            "item": { "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics#course" },
            "url": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics"
          },
          {
            "@type": "ListItem",
            "position": 2,
            "name": "Advanced SQL for Analytics",
            "item": { "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql#course" },
            "url": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql"
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Course",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics#course",
        "name": "Data Analytics Foundations",
        "description": "Learn SQL, spreadsheets, and dashboards to analyze and present business insights.",
        "provider": { "@id": "https://www.example.com/#org" },
        "hasCourseInstance": [
          { "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics#cohort-spring" }
        ],
        "courseCode": "DA-101",
        "learningResourceType": "Bootcamp",
        "educationalCredentialAwarded": "Certificate"
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "CourseInstance",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics#cohort-spring",
        "name": "Spring 2026 — Data Analytics Foundations",
        "courseMode": "Online",
        "startDate": "2026-04-01",
        "endDate": "2026-06-15",
        "location": {
          "@type": "Place",
          "name": "Online"
        },
        "instructor": {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "Sam Rivera"
        },
        "offers": {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "price": "1499.00",
          "priceCurrency": "USD",
          "url": "https://www.example.com/courses/data-analytics/enroll"
        }
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Course",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql#course",
        "name": "Advanced SQL for Analytics",
        "description": "Deepen your SQL skills with window functions, CTEs, and performance tuning for analytics workloads.",
        "provider": { "@id": "https://www.example.com/#org" },
        "hasCourseInstance": [
          { "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql#cohort-may" }
        ],
        "courseCode": "SQL-201",
        "learningResourceType": "Workshop"
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "CourseInstance",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql#cohort-may",
        "name": "May 2026 — Advanced SQL",
        "courseMode": "Hybrid",
        "startDate": "2026-05-10",
        "endDate": "2026-06-20",
        "location": {
          "@type": "Place",
          "name": "New York Campus"
        },
        "instructor": {
          "@type": "Person",
          "name": "Priya Desai"
        },
        "offers": {
          "@type": "Offer",
          "price": "1299.00",
          "priceCurrency": "USD",
          "url": "https://www.example.com/courses/advanced-sql/enroll"
        }
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "Organization",
        "@id": "https://www.example.com/#org",
        "name": "Example Academy",
        "url": "https://www.example.com",
        "logo": "https://www.example.com/images/logo-120x60.png",
        "sameAs": [
          "https://www.linkedin.com/school/example-academy",
          "https://twitter.com/exampleacademy"
        ]
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "FAQPage",
        "mainEntity": [
          {
            "@type": "Question",
            "name": "Are the cohorts live or self-paced?",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
              "@type": "Answer",
              "text": "Courses are live with weekly sessions; recordings are posted after each class for review."
            }
          },
          {
            "@type": "Question",
            "name": "What is the refund policy?",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
              "@type": "Answer",
              "text": "Full refunds up to 7 days before start; pro-rated refunds within the first week of class."
            }
          },
          {
            "@type": "Question",
            "name": "Do you provide certificates?",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
              "@type": "Answer",
              "text": "Yes, a certificate is issued upon completion with at least 80% attendance and final project submission."
            }
          }
        ]
      },
      {
        "@context": "https://schema.org",
        "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
        "itemListElement": [
          { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://www.example.com" },
          { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Courses", "item": "https://www.example.com/courses" },
          { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Data & SQL", "item": "https://www.example.com/courses/data" }
        ]
      }
    ]
    Workflow

    Implement and verify

    1. 01

      Start with the live page

      Confirm titles, prices, availability, policies, and visible FAQ content before generating markup.

    2. 02

      Add one JSON-LD script

      Use the combined example as a template in the document head or before the closing body tag.

    3. 03

      Complete regional details

      Fill shipping destinations and timing for every region the page actually serves.

    4. 04

      Link the return policy

      Use a stable MerchantReturnPolicy URL and keep its terms synchronized with the page.

    5. 05

      Match visible answers

      Add only FAQs that users can read on the same page, with identical answers.

    6. 06

      Validate after changes

      Run Rich Results Test after implementation and whenever price, availability, or policy data changes.

    Quality check

    Common errors and fixes

    • Missing currency or availability

      Use ISO currency codes and complete schema.org availability URLs in Offer data.

    • Incomplete shipping details

      Include shippingDestination.addressCountry and deliveryTime.transitTime with units.

    • Return policy is not connected

      Reference MerchantReturnPolicy from the Offer and provide a stable public policy URL.

    • FAQ answers differ from the page

      Keep structured FAQ answers identical to visible answers.

    Questions

    Stack FAQs

    Should I include every course on one page?

    Include only the courses visible on the page. If you paginate, update itemListElement to reflect the current view.

    Do I need CourseInstance for evergreen courses?

    Use CourseInstance for scheduled cohorts. For evergreen/on-demand courses, omit CourseInstance and keep Course focused on the canonical content.

    Primary sources

    References