A linked-data format commonly used to add structured data to web pages. Google’s recommended format.
JSON-LD is a JSON-based format for linked data. It provides a way to give terms a defined context and describe entities and relationships in a structured record. In website work, it is frequently used to express Schema.org data alongside the visible page.
A typical web implementation places the record in a script element marked as application/ld+json. It is data, not ordinary page copy or a styling rule. Google documents support for JSON-LD in either the head or body and generally recommends it when the site can maintain it appropriately.
The format does not decide whether the facts are useful or correct. A record can be valid JSON-LD while describing the wrong page or using properties unsuited to the intended search feature. Keep syntax validation separate from reviewing the content and the applicable feature requirements.
Takeaway: Use a maintainable structured-data implementation that stays consistent with visible content. JSON-LD can separate data from page layout, but it still needs accurate values and a clear source.
Example
A publisher’s template creates an article record from the stored headline, author and publication date. If a second plugin generates another record with different values, the page can contain contradictory descriptions. The team should identify which component owns the data instead of adding a third snippet to hide the disagreement.
What to check
Inspect the final page output rather than only the editor field. Check the record’s type, identifiers and values against the page it describes. Do not assume that putting JSON-LD in the header is the only valid placement or that a successful parse guarantees a rich result.
For more detail, see JSON-LD 1.1 W3C Recommendation.