What is Course schema markup and why does it matter for SEO?

Course schema is a structured data type from Schema.org that tells search engines your page describes an educational course. When implemented correctly, Google can show your course in the Course rich result carousel with the course title, provider, and description — driving higher CTR from organic search.

Does Google still support the Course rich result in 2026?

Yes. Google maintains the Course structured data guidelines and the Course rich result continues to appear on Search for queries like "free marketing course" or "python course online." The list experience (courseInstance, price, duration) remains supported for eligible sites.

Is this JSON-LD code valid with Google Rich Results Test?

The output follows Schema.org v29+ and Google's Course guidelines. Paste the generated snippet into the Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) to validate zero errors and warnings before shipping.

Where do I paste the generated Course schema?

Inside the of the HTML page describing the course (or anywhere before ). If you use Next.js, wrap it in via next/head. For WordPress, paste into the header script area of your SEO plugin (Rank Math, Yoast, AIOSEO).

What is the difference between Course and LearningResource schema?

Course represents a formal, stand-alone educational program with a provider. LearningResource is broader and can describe any teaching material (PDF, worksheet, video). If you have a structured curriculum with enrollment, use Course. Use both when a course contains specific resources.

Do I need courseInstance for rich results?

Google strongly recommends hasCourseInstance for the list experience. It lets you specify courseMode, startDate, endDate, instructor, and location. Without it, you may still qualify for the basic summary experience but miss pricing and date eligibility.

Can I use this tool for free LMS platforms like Teachable or Thinkific?

Yes. Generate the JSON-LD once, then paste it into your course page's custom HTML/head-code slot. Teachable, Thinkific, Kajabi, Podia, and Circle all expose custom code injection for exactly this use case.

Should I include price and offers in the Course schema?

If the course is paid, yes — add an Offer inside hasCourseInstance with price and priceCurrency. For free courses, use "price": "0". Google requires consistency with what the user sees on-page, so match your checkout page exactly.

What if my course has multiple cohorts or dates?

Add multiple CourseInstance objects in the hasCourseInstance array — one per cohort. Each can have its own startDate, endDate, and courseMode (Online, Onsite, Blended, Synchronous, Asynchronous).

How do I validate courseCredits and numberOfCredits?

Google prefers numberOfCredits with a "CourseCredits" value type. This tool outputs both spellings to maximize compatibility. US universities typically use 3-credit courses; K-12 uses hours.

Does schema markup guarantee rich snippets will show?

No structured data guarantees rich results. Google uses schema as a signal combined with page quality, site authority, and user intent. Valid markup makes you eligible — it does not force Google to display it.

Is this tool really free and private?

Completely free. The schema builds entirely in your browser — no course data ever touches our servers. No sign-up, no rate limit, and no tracking of the content you generate.

SEO · Schema Markup

Course Schema GeneratorJSON-LD for Rich Snippets

Generate valid Schema.org Course structured data in seconds. Qualify for the Google Course carousel, win higher CTR, and ship rich-result ready markup to any stack.

Google Rich Results Test

100% free, no sign-up
Schema.org v29 compliant
100% client-side

4.6on G2

4.8on Trustpilot

Course Details

27,400+

Schemas Generated

100%

Rich Results Valid

0 sec

Server Round-Trips

4.8 / 5

User Rating

How to Generate Course Schema in 5 Steps

From blank form to copy-ready JSON-LD in under a minute — no developer required.

Enter core course details

Fill course name, description, provider name, and provider URL. These are required by Schema.org.

Select course mode

Pick Online, Onsite, Blended, Synchronous, or Asynchronous — this controls how Google displays the course.

Add optional metadata

Course code, credit hours, image URL, and canonical course URL improve rich result eligibility.

Click Generate Schema

Validated JSON-LD renders on the right panel with no errors against Schema.org v29.

Copy and paste into your page

Paste the snippet inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in your page head. Test with Google Rich Results Test.

Grigora Original Data

Course schema lifts CTR by 130–160%

We analyzed 4,200 EdTech result pages in Q1 2026. Pages with properly implemented Course JSON-LD consistently beat non-marked pages by double-digit CTR — regardless of vertical.

Source: Grigora SERP sample, Jan–Mar 2026, n=4,200 URLs.

Course Vertical	With Schema	Without	CTR Lift
Online-Course Pages (all verticals)	3.1%	1.2%	+158%
Bootcamp / Cohort Landing Pages	4.4%	1.8%	+144%
University Course Catalogs	2.6%	1.1%	+136%
Free Course / Lead Magnet	5.8%	2.5%	+132%

Platform-Specific Implementation Guides

Copy the generated JSON-LD and ship it on your exact stack. Step-by-step instructions below.

WordPress

1
Install an SEO plugin that supports custom schema (Rank Math Pro, Yoast Premium, or Schema & Structured Data for WP).
2
Open the course page → Schema Builder → Add Custom JSON-LD.
3
Paste the generated snippet into the raw JSON-LD field.
4
Save and re-crawl the page in Google Search Console.

Built for EdTech, Universities & Agencies

Course schema unlocks rich results for any educational content — here's how teams use it.

Online Course Platforms

Mark up every course in your catalog to win the course carousel on Google for "learn X online" queries.

University & Higher Ed

Tag individual degree courses with credit hours and instructor info so prospective students discover them in search.

Bootcamps & Cohort-Based

Use multiple CourseInstance entries for each cohort, letting Google show upcoming start dates directly in SERPs.

Corporate Training

Internal LMS portals that rank on company sites can qualify for rich results when properly marked up.

Certification Bodies

Help industry certifications surface with provider, credit value, and educational credential metadata.

SEO Agencies

Generate client-ready JSON-LD for EdTech accounts in seconds — zero hand-coding, zero validation errors.

Common Course Schema Errors & How to Avoid Them

These are the top reasons Course schema fails validation — we've hard-coded the fixes into the tool.

Missing provider.name

Google rejects Course schema without a provider organization. Always fill Provider Name.

Using "description" over 60 characters for title

Keep name ≤60 chars. Long titles get truncated in the rich result carousel.

Bare courseCode without hasCourseInstance

courseCode alone is not enough. Wrap it in a CourseInstance so Google can index the cohort.

Wrong courseMode value

Valid options: Online, Onsite, Blended, Synchronous, Asynchronous. "Remote" or "Hybrid" will fail validation.

Missing image for paid courses

If you charge for the course, an image URL is required for the paid-course experience to appear.

Mixing JSON-LD with microdata on the same page

Google allows both but recommends one per page. Double-marked courses can confuse the parser.

Using HTML in description field

Schema description must be plain text. <p>, <br>, and inline styles break the JSON-LD.

No alignment between schema and visible page content

Google penalizes "hidden schema." If the JSON-LD says "Free" but the page charges $99, it fails the quality review.

Grigora vs. Other Course Schema Tools

A transparent feature comparison with popular alternatives.

Feature	Grigora	Merkle	Schema App	Technical SEO	Generic
Schema.org Course Type Compliance	Full	Partial	Full	Full	Partial
CourseInstance Support				Manual
Offer / Price Markup
Provider Organization Markup					Partial
Rich Results Test Ready		Manual
Free & Unlimited		No ($19/mo)
No Sign-up Required
Client-side Privacy (no server)

Optimized for AI Search

Future-proof for Google AI Overviews & ChatGPT Search

AI-powered search engines (Google SGE, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT Search, Perplexity) rely heavily on Schema.org to understand course entities. Well-formed Course JSON-LD gets cited as the source-of-truth in AI answer boxes — not just blue-link results.

Direct entity recognition in AI Overviews
Higher confidence score for educational queries
Course cards embedded in conversational results
Eligible for Google Discover course card format

AI Overview Example

"If you're looking for an online SEO course, Grigora Academy offers a free 6-hour Technical SEO program covering schema markup, Core Web Vitals, and log file analysis."

Cited via Course JSON-LD

Grigora Platform

Ship Every Schema Type Without Code

Course schema is just one of 20+ schema types Grigora auto-injects across your entire site — Article, FAQ, HowTo, Product, Event, Organization, and more. Point-and-click, zero dev-handoff.

Auto Course schema per LMS page
Dynamic provider binding
CourseInstance cohort sync
Real-time validation alerts

Explore Grigora See Pricing

Grigora SEO Suite

All-in-one schema platform

Article + Blog

FAQ + Speakable

Product + Offer

Course + CourseInstance

Event + Venue

Organization + LocalBiz

Related Schema & SEO Tools

Keep shipping structured data across your site. All tools are 100% free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about Course schema markup for SEO in 2026.

Last updated: May 2026

Schema.org v29 compliant

Reviewed against Google Course Guidelines