Recipe Schema Generator

Turn a recipe into a valid schema.org/Recipe JSON-LD block and qualify for Google recipe rich results — the rich cards and carousel that dominate food-query search pages. Enter ingredients (one per line), instructions (one step per line), prep/cook times in minutes, and nutrition data; the generator converts times to ISO 8601 duration format and structures instructions as HowToStep objects.

Nutrition (optional)
Aggregate rating (optional)

How to use the Recipe Schema Generator

Fill in the required fields — name, image URLs, ingredients, and instructions — then add optional data like times, nutrition, and ratings. The generator converts your minute values to ISO 8601 duration format automatically.

  1. Images — enter one URL per line. Google displays up to 3 images. Minimum 1200 px wide; 16:9 recommended for carousels.
  2. Prep / Cook / Total time — enter whole minutes. 60 min = PT1H in the output. For long ferments (e.g. 720 min overnight), just enter the total minutes and the generator formats it correctly (PT12H).
  3. Ingredients — one per line. Quantities and units are part of the line (e.g. 500g bread flour). Each line becomes a string in the recipeIngredient array.
  4. Instructions — one step per line. Each line becomes a HowToStep object with a text property. Short, imperative sentences work best.
  5. Aggregate rating — if you have user ratings, add them here. Google only shows star ratings in results if a rating with a review count is present.
  6. Copy the output and paste it into the recipe page's <head> or just before </body>.

What is Recipe schema and what does Google show for it?

Recipe schema (schema.org/Recipe) marks up a food or drink recipe so that Google can display recipe rich results — visually rich cards showing a photo, rating, cook time, and ingredient count directly in the search results page. These cards appear both as standalone rich results under the standard blue links and in the recipe carousel (a horizontally scrollable strip of cards that dominates the top of food-related SERPs). Recipe rich results consistently show significantly higher click-through rates than plain organic listings for cooking queries.

Google's required properties for a basic recipe result are name and image. For the full rich result with ratings, cook time, and ingredient display, Google additionally wants author, datePublished, description, prepTime/cookTime/totalTime (in ISO 8601 duration format such as PT30M), recipeYield, recipeIngredient, recipeInstructions (as an array of HowToStep objects), aggregateRating (for stars), and optionally nutrition.

A common mistake is providing instructions as a plain string. Google expects recipeInstructions to be an array of HowToStep objects (each with a text property), not a single block of text. The HowToStep format allows Google to display individual steps in its recipe experience and voice assistants. This generator handles that conversion automatically from your line-by-line input.

Common use cases

  • Food bloggers — add Recipe schema to every recipe post to unlock the recipe carousel — the most prominent SERP position for food queries and often responsible for the majority of a food blog's traffic.
  • Restaurant websites — publish signature recipes with full schema to attract food-enthusiast visitors and reinforce brand authority in culinary search results.
  • Recipe aggregators and meal-planning apps — ensure each recipe detail page has valid schema so Google indexes individual recipes rather than just the domain homepage.
  • Video recipe channels — combine Recipe schema with VideoObject schema on the same page to qualify for both the recipe carousel and video rich results simultaneously.
  • Health and nutrition sites — include the nutrition block (calories per serving) to attract users filtering recipes by caloric content in Google's recipe search experience.
  • Voice assistant integration — structured recipe instructions (HowToStep) are consumed by Google Assistant for step-by-step cooking guidance, providing a touch-free hands-on-keyboard-while-cooking experience.

Frequently asked questions

What image size does Google require for Recipe schema?
Google recommends images at least 1200 px wide for full rich-result eligibility. The minimum accepted is 720 px. 16:9 aspect ratio is preferred for carousel thumbnails. Include multiple images (e.g. overview shot + plated shot) as Google will choose the most appropriate one.

How do I represent hours-long cook times?
Enter the total time in minutes (e.g. 480 for 8 hours). The generator converts it to ISO 8601 format (PT8H). Mixed times like 1 hour 30 minutes (90 min) become PT1H30M. You can always manually edit the output for exactness.

Do I need star ratings to appear in Google recipe results?
No — name and image are the only required fields. However, without an aggregateRating, the rich result will not show star icons in the SERP, which significantly reduces visual appeal and click-through rate compared to rated recipes.

Can I have Recipe schema and Article schema on the same page?
Yes — a recipe blog post often includes both. Place both JSON-LD blocks in the page head. Google processes each block independently. This is common for recipe posts that also include a narrative introduction.

Why is my recipe not appearing in the Google recipe carousel?
Common reasons: the page is not indexed, required fields are missing, images do not meet size requirements, or the page has not been recrawled. Use Google's Rich Results Test (search.google.com/test/rich-results) to validate your markup and Search Console to check for errors.