SoftwareApplication Schema: Show App Ratings and Price in Google Search

It works for both. For web-based tools and SaaS products, set operatingSystem to "Web Browser" and omit downloadUrl — it is optional. For downloadable software (macOS app, Windows installer, mobile app), include downloadUrl pointing to the App Store, Play Store, or your download page. Google understands the distinction and will display the appropriate rich result format for each.

No — do not include aggregateRating if you have no real reviews. Adding a placeholder ratingCount of 0 or fabricated numbers violates Google's quality guidelines and risks a manual action on your search appearance. Wait until you have genuine user reviews from a verified review system (App Store, Google Play, or a third-party review platform). Once you have real data, add the aggregateRating block with accurate ratingValue and ratingCount.

Only on your primary marketing/landing page — the page that describes and promotes the software itself. This is typically your homepage or a dedicated product page like /product or /about. Do not add it to interior app pages (dashboard, settings, user profile) — those should use WebPage schema instead. Adding it to every page creates duplicate entity signals and may confuse Google about which page represents the software.

Add the aggregateRating property with a valid ratingValue (numeric, e.g. "4.8"), ratingCount (number of reviews), bestRating ("5"), and worstRating ("1"). Google will display star ratings in search results when: (1) the ratingCount is above a meaningful threshold (typically 5+), (2) the ratings come from a verifiable source, and (3) your schema validates cleanly. Note that Google does not guarantee stars will always appear — they reserve rich result display at their discretion.

MobileApplication is a subtype of SoftwareApplication specifically for apps distributed through mobile app stores. Use MobileApplication for iOS App Store and Google Play apps — it signals to Google that this is a native mobile app download. Use SoftwareApplication for web apps, SaaS, desktop software, and browser extensions. Both support the same core properties. For apps available on both web and mobile, use SoftwareApplication (the parent type) which covers all platforms.

For a freemium model, use AggregateOffer with lowPrice set to "0" (free tier) and highPrice set to your highest paid tier price. Alternatively, use an array of multiple Offer objects — one for each tier — each with its own price, priceCurrency, and optionally a name describing the tier (e.g. "Pro", "Enterprise"). If you want to drive conversions from the SERP, a single clear Offer showing your entry-paid price often performs better than an ambiguous range.

Yes — you can add JSON-LD SoftwareApplication schema to any page by injecting a script tag in the page's head or body. On WordPress, use a plugin (Yoast, RankMath, or a custom code snippet plugin) to inject it on specific pages. On Shopify, add it to your product.liquid or theme.liquid for the relevant product page. The schema works independently of the CMS — it is just a JSON-LD block that Google reads from the HTML source.

After adding valid schema, Google typically crawls and processes the page within 1-4 weeks for established sites (faster for frequently crawled pages). Rich results then appear when Google decides to surface them — there is no guaranteed timeline. Use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console to force a recrawl of the landing page. Once Google re-crawls and finds valid schema, check the Rich Results Test to confirm it detects SoftwareApplication correctly. Rich result display in actual SERPs may take an additional 2-4 weeks after that.