AggregateRating

The parent Schema.org type representing a single critical evaluation. An AggregateRating is derived from multiple individual Review items. Each Review typically includes a reviewRating (a Rating subtype), an author (Person or Organization), and the itemReviewed. While AggregateRating summarizes the statistical average, individual Reviews provide the qualitative context and textual justification behind the score.

The base type for expressing a qualitative or quantitative assessment. Key properties include:

• ratingValue: The numerical score (e.g., "4.5")
• bestRating: The maximum possible value (e.g., "5")
• worstRating: The minimum possible value (e.g., "1")

AggregateRating extends this concept by adding statistical properties like ratingCount and reviewCount to represent the collective assessment of many raters.

One of the most common parent types for AggregateRating markup. When applied to a Product, the aggregate rating directly influences purchase decisions and enables star rating rich results in search engine results pages. The AggregateRating property is nested within the Product schema, alongside offers, description, and brand. Google's merchant listing guidelines require specific rating distribution transparency when displaying aggregate scores.

A Schema.org type that can host AggregateRating to represent overall brand sentiment. This is distinct from product-level ratings—it reflects the cumulative reputation of the entity itself. Common in local business markup and employer review platforms. When combined with LocalBusiness subtypes, the aggregate rating appears in Google Business Profile knowledge panels, directly influencing click-through rates from local search results.

Two critical properties that distinguish statistical aggregation from qualitative feedback:

• ratingCount: The total number of individual ratings assigned, regardless of whether a textual review accompanied them. This is the denominator for calculating the average.
• reviewCount: The total number of written reviews submitted. This is always less than or equal to ratingCount.

Accurate distinction between these properties is essential for maintaining factual grounding and avoiding structured data errors that can invalidate rich result eligibility.

The property that links an AggregateRating to the specific entity being evaluated. This can reference any Thing subtype—a Product, Service, CreativeWork, or Organization. The value must be a nested schema object with its own @type and name properties. Proper entity disambiguation here is critical: using a canonical @id or sameAs reference ensures AI-driven search engines correctly associate the rating with the intended entity in their knowledge graphs.