Shipping and Return Schema
Policy markup that helps AI systems understand fulfillment and risk.
Definition
Shipping and Return Schema uses OfferShippingDetails and MerchantReturnPolicy to describe delivery destinations, rates, transit times, return windows, fees, and methods.
Why It Matters
Agents comparing merchants need total landed cost and post-purchase risk, not just product price.
How AI Uses It
AI can compare delivery speed, free-shipping thresholds, return eligibility, and country-specific rules.
Commerce Example
A shoe brand marks free US shipping over $75, 2 to 5 day delivery, 30-day returns, and customer-remorse return fees.
Copy/Paste Prompts
Replace the bracketed placeholders and run these prompts against your priority product lines, categories, or brand pages.
Audit this Product Offer markup for complete shippingDetails and hasMerchantReturnPolicy coverage by region.Turn this shipping and returns policy into fields suitable for OfferShippingDetails and MerchantReturnPolicy.Optimization Checklist
- Nest shippingDetails under Offer.
- Use country or region-specific destinations.
- Add deliveryTime or rate.
- Add hasMerchantReturnPolicy.
- Keep policy pages and markup synchronized.
Common Data Gaps
| Gap | Why AI Struggles | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Free shipping threshold absent | AI cannot calculate the true offer. | Use order value conditions. |
| Returns differ by country | A global answer may be wrong. | Add applicableCountry policies. |
| No return fees | AI may overstate buyer protection. | Add returnFees and label source. |
Downloadable-Style Artifacts
Copy this structure into a spreadsheet, Notion page, or internal ticket.
Shipping and Return Schema operating worksheet
| Primary audit question | Nest shippingDetails under Offer. |
|---|---|
| Highest-risk gap | Free shipping threshold absent |
| First fix to ship | Use order value conditions. |
| Success metric | Shipping schema warnings |
| Retest cadence | Monthly or after material catalog changes |
Title: Improve Shipping and Return Schema readiness for [PRODUCT / CATEGORY]
Observed issue:
[WHAT THE AI ANSWER MISSED OR MISSTATED]
Most likely data gap:
Free shipping threshold absent
Recommended fix:
Use order value conditions.
Affected prompt:
[PASTE PROMPT]
Owner:
[TEAM OR PERSON]
Acceptance criteria:
- Nest shippingDetails under Offer.
- Use country or region-specific destinations.
- Track: Shipping schema warnings
- Prompt test has been re-run after publicationCommon Mistakes
- One global policy for all markets.
- Contradicting checkout rules.
- Omitting no-ship regions.
- Forgetting product-specific exceptions.
What To Measure
- Shipping schema warnings
- Return-policy schema warnings
- Cart conversion by delivery promise
- AI total-cost accuracy
Strategic Takeaway
In agentic commerce, shipping and returns become ranking inputs because they change the true offer.