---
title: "schema.org Organization and LocalBusiness Cheatsheet"
slug: "schema-org-entity-types"
category: "cheatsheets"
tags: ["cheatsheets", "schema-org", "seo", "local-seo", "json-ld"]
status: "stable"
last_updated: 2026-09-27
summary: "Required and recommended JSON-LD fields for the schema.org Organization and LocalBusiness entity types, with an @id reference pattern for reusing the publisher entity across pages."
related:
  [
    "[[cheatsheets/schema-org-types]]",
    "[[seo/structured-data]]",
    "[[seo/local-seo]]",
    "[[seo/author-entities]]",
    "[[seo/e-e-a-t]]",
    "[[cheatsheets/index|Cheatsheets]]",
  ]
---

## Overview

`Organization` and `LocalBusiness` describe entities rather than documents: the company behind the site and the physical places where it serves customers. Google uses them for logo and organization details, and for business details alongside local results. This card lists their fields. For document types such as `Article`, `Product`, and `VideoObject`, see [[cheatsheets/schema-org-types]]; for the broader rules, see [[seo/structured-data]].

## LocalBusiness: one block per physical location

Use `LocalBusiness` for brick-and-mortar businesses. Use a more specific subtype when one fits: `Restaurant`, `Dentist`, `AutoRepair`, etc.

| Field                       | Required                 | Notes                                          |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- |
| `@type`                     | yes                      | `LocalBusiness` or a subtype.                  |
| `name`                      | yes                      | Business name.                                 |
| `address`                   | yes                      | `PostalAddress` with all fields.               |
| `telephone`                 | recommended              | E.164 format preferred.                        |
| `geo`                       | recommended              | `GeoCoordinates` with `latitude`, `longitude`. |
| `openingHoursSpecification` | recommended              | Array of `OpeningHoursSpecification`.          |
| `priceRange`                | recommended              | `$`, `$$`, etc.                                |
| `image`                     | required for some panels | Storefront or logo.                            |
| `url`                       | yes                      | Canonical URL.                                 |

Ship one `LocalBusiness` block per location page, and keep its name, address, and phone identical to the Google Business Profile listing for that location. See [[seo/local-seo]].

## Organization: declare once, reference by @id

Place the site-wide `Organization` entity once on the home page and reference it elsewhere by `@id`.

| Field          | Required    | Notes                                                  |
| -------------- | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------ |
| `@type`        | yes         | `Organization` or `Corporation`.                       |
| `name`         | yes         | Legal or operating name.                               |
| `url`          | yes         | Canonical home URL.                                    |
| `logo`         | recommended | Square or near-square; minimum 112x112.                |
| `sameAs`       | recommended | Array of social profile URLs (LinkedIn, X, Wikipedia). |
| `contactPoint` | recommended | `ContactPoint` with `telephone` and `contactType`.     |

`sameAs` tells Google which official profiles belong to the entity; list every profile the organization controls and nothing it does not.

## Reference the entity by @id instead of repeating it

Give the `Organization` block a stable `@id` (the home URL plus a fragment) and point `publisher` and `author.worksFor` at it from every other page. One definition avoids conflicting copies of the name, logo, and profiles.

```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@graph": [
    {
      "@type": "Organization",
      "@id": "https://example.com/#org",
      "name": "Example Co",
      "url": "https://example.com/",
      "logo": "https://example.com/logo.png",
      "sameAs": ["https://www.linkedin.com/company/example"]
    },
    {
      "@type": "Article",
      "headline": "Release notes for May",
      "publisher": { "@id": "https://example.com/#org" }
    }
  ]
}
```

## Common gotchas

- Use the most specific `LocalBusiness` subtype that fits. `Dentist` says more than `LocalBusiness`.
- Keep the markup consistent with the visible page. An address or opening hours that the page does not show, or that contradict it, count as misleading markup.
- Use `Organization` for the publisher and `LocalBusiness` for each location; do not mark the home page of a multi-location brand as a single `LocalBusiness`.
- Validate with Google's Rich Results Test, not only the schema.org validator.

## Related

- [[cheatsheets/schema-org-types]]
- [[seo/structured-data]]
- [[seo/local-seo]]
- [[seo/author-entities]]
- [[seo/e-e-a-t]]
- [[cheatsheets/index|Cheatsheets]]