Google Introduces Structured Data For Merchant Shipping Policies

Google introduces structured data for merchant shipping policies, allowing retailers to display clear shipping details and enhance e-commerce visibility.

Google Search now supports organization-wide shipping policy markup, enabling ecommerce sites to display delivery costs and transit times directly in search results and knowledge panels without depending solely on Merchant Center.

New ShippingService Enhances Visibility

With the newly documented ShippingService schema, merchants can define shipping costs and delivery windows based on factors like product weight, dimensions, order value, or delivery destination.

This information can then be surfaced next to product listings in Google Search.

This structured data is added at the organization level using the property ‘hasShippingService’. For product-specific adjustments, under the Offer object, ‘OfferShippingDetails’, supports a streamlined set of fields to override the general policy.

How to Implement Shipping Policy Markup

Google recommends placing all shipping policy markup on a single webpage for clarity. Each ShippingService contains one or more ShippingConditions which specify when certain rates apply.

When multiple conditions meet a product’s criteria, Google applies the lowest shipping cost and shows the related delivery speed.

Pricing can be defined via fixed fees (MonetaryAmount) or percentage rates (ShippingRateSettings). Transit times utilize ‘ServicePeriod’ with options for business days and handling cutoff schedules.

The markup supports geographic details with country codes (ISO 3166-1), optional regional codes (currently US, Australia, Japan), and postal codes (US, Canada, Australia). However, regions and postal codes should not be mixed for the same condition.

Google also manages precedence if multiple shipping configurations exist. For instance, if both the page markup and Search Console settings are present, Search Console takes priority. The Content API for Shopping ranks highest in this hierarchy.

Why This Update Matters for Merchants

This markup-only approach provides a streamlined path to publish and update shipping policies that Google can interpret independently of Merchant Center feeds.

It offers flexibility in keeping shipping details fresh and accurate, especially useful before products actively appear in feeds.

Merchants actively using Merchant Center or Search Console for delivery settings can continue doing so but should recognize those settings may override page markup where both are available.

Looking Forward

To qualify for rich search result features, shipping policy markup must comply with Google’s structured data policies, Search Essentials, and technical requirements detailed in the official documentation.