Google Announces Support for Structured Data for Sitewide Shipping Policies

Google has announced support for structured data for sitewide shipping policies at the organizational level. This allows e-commerce websites to display delivery costs and transit times directly in Google Search results without relying solely on Merchant Center.

The update enables publishing shipping policies as structured data on the website. Google may then display relevant information in search results, including delivery costs and delivery windows, if the site meets the requirements.

What Has Changed: New Opportunities for eCommerce

Google has officially added documentation and support for the ShippingService element, which allows defining shipping policies based on various parameters:

• Product weight;
• Dimensions;
• Order value;
• Delivery geography.

The standard shipping policy is now placed in structured data under Organization → hasShippingService. If needed, product-specific exceptions can be created via OfferShippingDetails within the Offer element. This approach supports a smaller set of parameters but allows specifying delivery details at the individual offer level.

Practical Implementation: Google Recommendations

Google recommends placing structured shipping policy data on a single page to facilitate crawling and indexing.

Key implementation elements:

1. ShippingService + ShippingConditions

Each shipping policy can include one or more ShippingConditions objects specifying when a particular rate applies.

If a product qualifies under multiple conditions, Google:

• Uses the lowest available cost,
• Displays the corresponding delivery speed.

2. Rate Types

• Fixed fees are defined via MonetaryAmount.
• Percentage-based fees are defined via ShippingRateSettings.

3. Transit Times

Transit times are defined through ServicePeriod:

• Business days are supported (businessDays),
• Cutoff times can be set, after which orders move to the next business day.

4. Geographical Coverage

Supported:

• Country codes (ISO 3166-1),
• Regions (for the US, Australia, Japan),
• Postal codes (US, Canada, Australia).

Google emphasizes: within a single condition, you cannot specify both a region and a postal code.

Interaction with Merchant Center and Search Console

Google applies a hierarchy of shipping settings. If shipping policies are defined in multiple sources, Google uses the most authoritative source.

Priority order:

1. Content API for Shopping (highest priority)
2. Search Console Shipping Settings
3. Structured Data Markup (ShippingService)

Thus, if shipping is configured both in Search Console and in structured data, Google will use the Search Console settings.

This means structured data is not a replacement for Merchant Center or Search Console but provides an additional tool—especially for sites that do not use feeds or have a large number of product pages.

Why This Matters for Business

Implementing ShippingService creates new opportunities for:

Transparency for Users

With structured data, customers can see:

• Estimated delivery times,
• Delivery costs,
• Available shipping methods.

Direct visibility in search improves brand trust and reduces the purchase entry barrier.

Increased CTR in Search Results

Displaying shipping information alongside products makes search results more attractive and relevant, especially in competitive niches.

Information Currency Without Feed Updates

Policies added via markup can be updated much faster than product feeds.

Reduced Dependence on Merchant Center

This is particularly useful for:

• Sites not using feeds,
• B2B e-commerce stores,
• Brands with non-standard logistics.

What to Expect Next

As with all other types of rich results, Google emphasizes:

• Markup must comply with structured data policies,
• Sites must meet Search Essentials requirements,
• Technical implementation must follow official documentation.

Only then can a site qualify to display enhanced shipping elements in search results.

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