Compatibility between HowTo Schema and Recipe Schema + User Rating Feature

#1122527
  • Ez Know

    1 week, 6 days ago

    Rank Math free

    Hello Rank Math team,

    I’m currently running a recipe-focused blog built on WordPress, and I’m using Rank Math for SEO and structured data management. I have a few detailed questions regarding schema compatibility and rating integration.

    Using HowTo Schema and Recipe Schema together
    Many AI tools (like ChatGPT and Claude) suggest that using both HowTo Schema and Recipe Schema on the same page may cause conflicts in Google’s structured data parsing.
    However, since cooking recipes naturally contain both instructional steps (which fit the HowTo type) and food-related metadata (which fit the Recipe type), I’d like to confirm directly with you:
    → Is it safe and recommended to use both schemas on the same page when implemented via Rank Math?
    → Or does Rank Math recommend keeping only one schema type per post to avoid potential validation or ranking issues?

    User ratings in Recipe Schema
    Currently, I’ve set up the Recipe Schema and can add only the author rating field. However, I’d like to allow visitors to rate recipes (e.g., 1–5 stars) directly on the post so that their votes are reflected in the structured data (aggregateRating).
    → Is this feature available in Rank Math (free or PRO)?
    → If not, can I integrate it manually through custom fields or a compatible plugin?

    Current setup with WP Feedback plugin
    I’m currently using the WP Feedback plugin for the front-end star rating system.
    The schema output is turned off in that plugin to prevent conflicts, so Rank Math is the only plugin generating structured data.
    I’d like to confirm whether this is the correct approach for maintaining clean schema markup and ensuring Google correctly recognizes the recipe’s rating.

    My main goal is to ensure the schema setup is SEO-friendly, non-conflicting, and properly structured for recipe-rich results on Google.
    Thank you so much for your guidance and continued support — Rank Math has been essential for my site’s optimization!

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • RankBot

    1 week, 6 days ago

    Hello,

    We apologize for the issues you’re facing regarding schema compatibility and user ratings. Thank you for raising these important questions!

    Using HowTo Schema and Recipe Schema Together

    It is generally safe to use both HowTo Schema and Recipe Schema on the same page when implemented via Rank Math. Rank Math is designed to handle multiple schema types effectively, and it can automatically merge them where applicable. This means you can include instructional steps from the HowTo Schema alongside the food-related metadata from the Recipe Schema without worrying about conflicts in Google’s structured data parsing.

    User Ratings in Recipe Schema

    Regarding user ratings, Rank Math does allow you to add aggregate ratings to your Recipe Schema, but this feature is available only in the PRO version. If you want visitors to rate recipes directly on your post, you can integrate this functionality using custom fields or a compatible plugin that supports user-generated ratings. However, ensure that any additional plugin does not conflict with Rank Math’s schema output.

    Current Setup with WP Feedback Plugin

    Your approach of turning off the schema output in the WP Feedback plugin while allowing Rank Math to generate structured data is correct. This helps maintain clean schema markup and ensures that Google correctly recognizes the recipe’s rating.

    For more detailed guidance on setting up the Recipe Schema and user ratings, you might find our knowledge base articles helpful:

    If you need further assistance or have more specific questions, please reply to this ticket, and a human agent from our support team will assist you further.

    Thank you for your understanding, and we hope this information helps you optimize your recipe blog effectively!

    Sources:
    How to Choose the Right Schema for Your Content » Rank Math
    How to Earn Star Ratings in SERPs by Using Schema Markup With Rank Math? » Rank Math
    Using Review Schema Type to Earn Star Ratings » Rank Math

    This is an automated reply from Rank Math Support Bot. Your ticket has been assigned to a human agent and we will get back to you shortly.

    Jeremy

    1 week, 3 days ago

    Hello,

    Thank you for your detailed message and for using Rank Math!

    It’s perfectly fine to use multiple schema types on a single post as long as they are relevant to the content. However, since the Recipe Schema already supports instructional steps (via the recipeInstructions property), adding a separate HowTo Schema is unnecessary and could make your structured data redundant, though it won’t cause a fatal error in Google’s Rich Results.

    Regarding user ratings, Rank Math doesn’t currently include a built-in front-end rating system. However, you can integrate ratings from your existing plugin (like WP Feedback) into Rank Math’s Recipe Schema using this filter:

    add_filter('rank_math/snippet/rich_snippet_recipe_entity', function ($entity) {
	$entity['aggregateRating'] = [
		'@type'       => 'AggregateRating',
		'ratingValue' => YOUR_RATING_VALUE_HERE,
		'bestRating'  => '5',
		'worstRating' => '1',
		'ratingCount' => YOUR_RATING_COUNT_HERE,
	];
	return $entity;
});

    You’ll just need to retrieve the rating data from your plugin via PHP. If you’re unsure how to do that, the WP Feedback plugin’s developers should be able to assist.

    Keeping Rank Math as the only schema generator (and turning off schema in other plugins) is indeed the correct approach as well.

    Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if you have any other questions.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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