AggregateRating is a Schema.org type that expresses the average rating of an item based on multiple ratings or reviews. It carries ratingValue plus ratingCount or reviewCount, and optionally bestRating and worstRating. Google uses it in review snippets for supported types such as products, software apps, books, recipes and courses, subject to its review guidelines.
Required pieces
Google requires the item being rated, a ratingValue, and either ratingCount or reviewCount. If your scale is not 1 to 5, set bestRating and worstRating. The aggregate must be nested in, or point to, the item it rates using itemReviewed when it stands alone.
"aggregateRating": {
"@type": "AggregateRating",
"ratingValue": "4.4",
"bestRating": "5",
"ratingCount": "87"
}Eligibility rules
Ratings must be about a specific item, not a category or a list of items. They must be visible to users on the page or clearly sourced. Google does not show review stars for LocalBusiness and Organization items when the business controls the reviews about itself, a policy known as the self-serving reviews rule. Ratings must come from real users, not be written or selected by the site to look good.
Third-party review sources
SaaS companies often show an aggregate from an external review platform. Displaying it with attribution and marking it up on a SoftwareApplication item is a common pattern. Keep the numbers in sync with the source, and check that the platform's terms allow you to republish them.
Example
Stars that drift
A recruiting SaaS, Thistledown, hardcoded its rating as 4.8 from 300 reviews two years ago. The review platform now shows 4.5 from 640. A reviewer notices the mismatch. The team switches to fetching the aggregate nightly so the badge and markup match the source.
Common mistakes
Marking up testimonials as ratings
A handful of hand-picked quotes on a homepage is not an aggregate of user reviews.
Rating the company instead of the product
Organization ratings controlled by the company are not eligible. Rate the specific software item.
Questions
Eligibility does not guarantee display. Google also limits review snippets for some types and applies quality judgments per query.
