Google Updates Carousels (Beta) Structured Data Documentation

Google's updated Carousels (beta) structured data documentation aims to clarify specific requirements for web publishers. It provides explicit instructions on how to implement structured data for the Structured Data Carousels (beta), which are rich results that display content in a horizontally scrollable list for qualifying topics related to travel, local, and shopping. The documentation emphasizes that this feature is meant for summary pages that link to detailed pages and outlines the geographic limitations of the feature's availability.

To implement Structured Data Carousels (beta) for rich results, follow these steps:

1. Choose a summary page that lists entities such as 'Top hotels in Paris' with links to more detailed pages on your site.
2. Add the required ItemList structured data properties to the summary page.
3. Ensure the summary page contains information about at least three entities and links out to detailed pages.
4. Include the URLs of the detail pages in the summary page's markup.
5. Note that the detail pages themselves do not need to have the specific structured data.

The new clarifications in the Carousels (beta) structured data documentation include:

• The beta carousel structured data is to be implemented on a summary page that links out to detailed pages.
• The linked detailed pages do not need to have this specific structured data.
• The feature is designed for a summary page and multiple detail pages, not for an all-in-one page with anchor points.
• The markup must be on a list-like summary or category page that links out to other pages for more information.
• The canonical URL in the markup should reference the standalone page for an entity listed in the summary.

The Structured Data Carousels (beta) feature is currently available in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, on both desktop and mobile devices. It is available for travel, local, and shopping queries. Specifically for shopping queries, it is being tested first in Germany, France, Czechia, and the UK. If your business is based in the EEA, or serves users in the EEA, you can express interest in these new experiences by filling out the applicable form.