How to use the Video Schema Generator
VideoObject schema gets your video a thumbnail, play button, and duration directly in the SERP — eligibility for the video carousel and the "Watch" tab. Without it, Google may not even know there's a video on the page.
Add the video metadata
name (title), description, thumbnailUrl (16:9 preferred, 1280 × 720+), uploadDate (ISO 8601), duration (ISO 8601 like PT2M30S for 2 min 30 sec).
Add embed and content URLs
contentUrl is the direct video file (.mp4, .webm). embedUrl is the iframe-embeddable URL (YouTube embed link, etc.). Provide at least one — both is best.
Add a transcript or seek-to-action (optional)
Transcripts boost accessibility and help Google index video content. SeekToAction enables Google's clip-to-timestamp feature where users jump directly to a specific moment.
Paste into and validate
Wrap in <script type="application/ld+json">. Validate with Rich Results Test. Verify the thumbnail loads (it's the most common failure point).
Why Video schema is the highest-leverage rich result for video content
Video rich results take up dramatically more SERP space than text snippets — a thumbnail with a play button overlay grabs attention even from users who didn't intend to watch a video. CTR lifts of 50–100% are common when video schema replaces a text-only snippet.
What video rich results look like
- Thumbnail with play button — left-aligned next to the snippet.
- Duration overlay — bottom-right corner of the thumbnail.
- Eligibility for the Video tab — Google's dedicated video search vertical.
- Eligibility for the video carousel — horizontal scroll of related videos at the top of mixed-results SERPs.
Required fields
name— video title.description— what the video is about.thumbnailUrl— at least 60 px wide, 16:9 preferred (1280 × 720 ideal).uploadDate— ISO 8601 datetime.contentUrlORembedUrl— at least one is required.
Why most video schema fails validation
- Thumbnail URL returns 404 or 5xx.
- Duration in wrong format — must be ISO 8601 (
PT2M30Snot2:30). - Thumbnail under 60 px wide or not a valid image format.
- Missing both contentUrl and embedUrl.
- uploadDate as a string like "Jan 1 2025" instead of
2025-01-01T00:00:00Z.
Frequently asked questions
What is Video schema?
Video schema (VideoObject in schema.org) is JSON-LD structured data that describes a video on your page — its title, description, thumbnail, duration, upload date, and embed URL. Google uses it to qualify pages for video rich results, the video carousel, and the dedicated Video search tab.
Do I need Video schema if my video is on YouTube?
If you embed a YouTube video on your page, add Video schema describing the video — it tells Google your page is the canonical landing page for that video, not just a re-embed. YouTube generates its own schema for the YouTube watch page; your page needs its own to claim the same video.
What format does duration use?
ISO 8601 duration format: PT followed by hours (H), minutes (M), and seconds (S). 2 minutes 30 seconds is PT2M30S. 1 hour 15 minutes is PT1H15M. 45 seconds is PT45S. Don't use plain text like "2:30".
What thumbnail size do I need?
Minimum 60 × 60 pixels, but Google strongly prefers 1280 × 720 (16:9 HD) for video rich results. Provide multiple aspect ratios when possible — 1:1, 4:3, 16:9. The thumbnail must be a direct image URL, not behind a redirect.
Should I include a transcript?
Strongly recommended. Transcripts help Google index the video's content, improve accessibility (WCAG compliance), and unlock the SeekToAction feature where Google can deep-link to specific timestamps in your video. Add it as the transcript field in VideoObject.