WebSite Schema Site Name: Mark Up Your Preferred Name for Google

When Google lists a page in search results, it shows the name of the site the page comes from. If your site is called "Burnt Toast Shop" but the result says "burnttoast.example" or a name you would never use, visitors may not recognise you. The WebSite structured data on your home page is the most direct way to tell Google which name you prefer.

This guide shows how to write that markup, where to place it, which other signals Google reads, how to validate it without a tool that does not support it, and what to do while you wait for Google to update. It is for site owners and developers who can edit the home page template or a plugin that does.

It also sets expectations. Google treats your markup as a preference, not an order. It cannot be forced, and Google's documentation says it cannot manually change automatically selected site names.

Short answer: Add WebSite structured data to your home page with a name and the home page url. Optionally add alternateName values in order of preference. Google decides the final site name from several signals, so the markup states a preference but is not guaranteed to be used. Updates can take days to weeks.

Before you begin

You need edit access to the template that outputs your home page head or body. Most sites use JSON-LD in a script block; if you are on WordPress, see Add Schema Markup to WordPress first, because an SEO plugin may already output a WebSite block and a second one would conflict. Check the current page source first by searching for "WebSite".

Decide on the name. Google's guidance says to choose a unique, concise and commonly recognised name that is not misleading and follows its content policies, and to avoid generic names. Use it consistently on the home page, in the title, in headings and in the visible text.

You also need a way to test the page and a few weeks of patience. The risk is low: a wrong value is easy to correct, but Google must recrawl before the change shows.

What is a site name in Google Search?

Google's documentation separates two things. A title link belongs to one page. A site name belongs to the whole site and is shown for pages from it. Site names are available in all languages where Google Search is available, on both mobile and desktop.

Google supports one site name per site. Subdirectories are not supported as separate sites. Each subdomain is treated as its own site, though subdomains beginning www or m are generally treated as equivalent. If a subdomain's home page has no structured data, the domain-level site name may be used as a fallback.

The site name is not a favicon. Favicons are covered in Favicon in Google Search Results, and the page title is covered in Why Google Rewrites Title Tags.

WebSite schema site name: which properties does Google read?

Google's site name documentation names three properties of the schema.org WebSite type:

Property	Status	What to put in it
`name`	Required	The name of the website, as you want it shown
`url`	Required	The canonical home page URL of the domain or subdomain
`alternateName`	Optional	One or more alternative names in order of preference, such as an acronym or shorter name

Schema.org defines WebSite as a set of related web pages and other items typically served from a single web domain, and it inherits name, alternateName and url from Thing. The schema.org type allows many more properties, but Google's site name page only describes these three. Do not expect other properties to change the site name.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Write the JSON-LD

Start with the smallest correct block:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Example Company",
  "url": "https://example.com/"
}
</script>

Add an alternateName if people also call you something shorter. List the options in order of preference. The array form is allowed, and Google's own example puts the plain domain last:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Burnt Toast",
  "alternateName": ["BT", "Burnt Toast Shop", "example.com"],
  "url": "https://www.example.com/"
}
</script>

Keep the JSON valid: straight double quotes, commas between properties but not after the last one, and the url pointing at the home page of the exact host you use. See What is JSON-LD? if the format is new to you.

What success looks like: The block parses as JSON and contains name and url.

Step 2: Put it on the home page, and only the home page

Google requires the markup on the home page, meaning the root of the domain or subdomain. A page such as https://example.com/de/index.html is not a home page for this purpose. You do not need to repeat the block on inner pages.

Make sure the home page can be crawled. Google says blocked content may prevent site name generation, so check that robots.txt, a noindex tag or a login wall is not in the way. Robots.txt Blocking Google or Bing? Diagnose It Step by Step helps with the first.

What success looks like: Viewing the home page source shows the block, and the home page is not blocked.

Step 3: Handle duplicate home pages

If the home page answers on more than one address, for example HTTP and HTTPS, or www and non-www, Google says to use the same structured data on all of the duplicates, not just on the canonical one. The url value should still be the canonical home page. In practice, you should also redirect duplicates to one address, which is the job of WWW vs Non-WWW canonical host and HTTP to HTTPS migration. Keep the structured data identical in the meantime.

What success looks like: Every address that serves the home page carries the same name and the canonical URL.

Step 4: Reuse an existing WebSite block instead of adding a second

If your theme, SEO plugin or another tool already outputs WebSite markup, add name and alternateName to that node. Google says to nest the site name properties in the existing WebSite node rather than adding a second block, if you can help it. Two competing blocks with different names make your preference unclear.

If you describe your organisation in the same page, you can keep both in one @graph. Google reads the WebSite node for the site name, and the Organization node serves other purposes covered in Organization Schema Markup:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "WebSite",
      "@id": "https://example.com/#website",
      "name": "Example Company",
      "alternateName": "EC",
      "url": "https://example.com/",
      "publisher": { "@id": "https://example.com/#organization" }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://example.com/#organization",
      "name": "Example Company Ltd",
      "url": "https://example.com/"
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Here the legal name and the display name differ on purpose. That is fine, but the display name in the WebSite node should be the name you want in search results.

What success looks like: The home page has one WebSite node, with the name you chose.

Step 5: Validate the markup

Google's Rich Results Test does not support site names, according to Google's site name page, which recommends a schema testing tool such as the Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org). Paste the live home page URL or the code snippet and fix any syntax errors or warnings about the properties. For a wider tour of tools and error types, read JSON-LD Validation: Test and Debug Structured Data and Rich Results Test Errors.

A valid result proves that the syntax and types are correct. It does not prove that Google will show your name.

What success looks like: The validator shows a WebSite with your name, URL and alternate names, with no errors.

Step 6: Ask Google to recrawl and wait

Use the URL Inspection tool in Search Console to test the live home page, then request indexing. Google's page says finding and crawling a new page can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and a recrawl several days to several weeks. Internal pages may need extra time to reflect the change after the home page does.

For URL Inspection and its limits, see URL Inspection Live Test.

What success looks like: After a few weeks, searching for a page from your site shows the name you chose, or you move to the fallback steps below.

What if Google does not use my preferred site name?

Google's page lists these fallbacks, in order:

Add an alternateName value first, such as an acronym or shorter name.
Add the lowercase domain or subdomain name (for example example.com) as the last alternate name.
As a last resort, set the lowercase domain or subdomain as the name.

Also check the other signals. Google says its system considers og:site_name, the <title> element, heading elements and other text on the home page, plus references to the site elsewhere on the web. If your Open Graph tags say one thing and your structured data another, align them. Open Graph Tags and Twitter Cards shows where og:site_name goes. When the system is less confident, Google says it may use other sources or show the domain name.

What Crawvix can and cannot tell you

Crawvix's structured data check reads JSON-LD blocks on the pages it samples, checks that they parse, and checks required fields for common types. For a WebSite block it looks for a url. It does not judge whether the name is the one Google will pick, and it does not read Microdata or RDFa.

Final verification checklist

The home page contains one WebSite block with name and the canonical url.
The name is concise, not generic, and matches how the home page refers to the site.
Any alternateName values are in order of preference.
The markup is only needed on the home page, and the home page is crawlable.
Duplicate home page addresses output the same structured data, or redirect to one address.
og:site_name, the title element and headings agree with the name.
A schema validator shows no errors for the home page.
You requested a recrawl and noted the date to review the result.

Common mistakes to avoid

Two WebSite blocks with different names. Fix: merge into one node.
Putting the markup only on an inner page. Fix: use the home page of the domain or subdomain.
A url that is not the canonical home page. Fix: use the exact address you redirect to.
A name stuffed with keywords. Fix: use the real, recognisable name. Avoid generic names.
Using the Rich Results Test and concluding it is unsupported or broken. Google says it does not support site names. Fix: use a schema validator.
Blocking the home page. Fix: allow crawling, remove noindex.
Changing the name daily. Recrawls take weeks. Fix: change once, wait, then review.
Expecting a subdirectory to get its own name. Google supports one name per site. Fix: use a subdomain if you need a separate site name, and mark up its home page.

Frequently asked questions

What is WebSite schema used for?

For Google Search, the documented use is to state the preferred site name and alternate names. Schema.org defines the type more broadly, but this guide only covers what Google documents.

Does Google always use the name in my markup?

No. Google calls structured data the most important signal for stating a preference, but its system considers other signals and says it may use other sources or show the domain name when it is less confident.

How long does a site name change take?

Google says finding and crawling a new page can take a few days to a few weeks, and a recrawl several days to several weeks.

Do I need `alternateName`?

No, it is optional. It is useful when people use an acronym or shorter name, and as a fallback if your preferred name is not selected.

Can I have a different site name for a subfolder?

No. Google supports one site name per site and does not support subdirectories. A subdomain is treated as its own site.

Official references

Next step: Try the free website sample to see how your own site does on a few of these checks. This guide provides technical information, not a guarantee of rankings, traffic or index inclusion.