WordPress
Set the site name in Yoast or Rank Math first. Otherwise add the script to the homepage with a plugin such as WPCode.
Create WebSite JSON-LD for your homepage with your site name, alternate names and publisher, linked in one clean @graph. It is the markup Google reads to choose the site name shown above your results. Free, no sign-up, and nothing leaves your browser.
Describes the homepage and links it to the WebSite with isPartOf.
Google retired the sitelinks search box in November 2024. Add this only if another service you use reads it.
WebSite schema is structured data, based on the schema.org WebSite type, that describes your whole website as one entity: its name, alternate names, homepage URL and publisher. You add it once, as JSON-LD, on your homepage.
Its main job in Google is the site name: the brand name shown with your favicon above every search result from your site. Google reads WebSite markup on the homepage, together with your title tag, headings and other signals, to choose that name.
It also connects your structured data. Other markup on your site can point to the same WebSite and Organization by @id, so search engines and AI systems see one consistent brand instead of scattered details.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@graph": [
{
"@type": "WebSite",
"@id": "https://www.example.com/#website",
"name": "Acme Digital",
"alternateName": ["Acme", "AD"],
"url": "https://www.example.com/",
"publisher": {
"@id": "https://www.example.com/#organization"
}
},
{
"@type": "Organization",
"@id": "https://www.example.com/#organization",
"name": "Acme Digital",
"url": "https://www.example.com/",
"logo": "https://www.example.com/logo.png"
}
]
}Google treats your WebSite markup as a strong hint, not a command. It checks the name against how your site and others refer to you, and may pick a different name when the signals disagree. These four habits give your preferred name the best chance.
<title>Acme Digital: SEO and content agency</title>
<meta property="og:site_name" content="Acme Digital">
<h1>Acme Digital</h1>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "WebSite",
"name": "Acme Digital",
"alternateName": "Acme",
"url": "https://www.example.com/"
}
</script>For site names, Google needs only two properties. The rest add context and link the site to the brand behind it.
| Property | What to add | Google status |
|---|---|---|
name | Your preferred site name | Required for site names |
url | The homepage of the domain or subdomain | Required for site names |
alternateName | An acronym, short form or other accepted name | Recommended |
publisher | A link to the Organization or Person that runs the site | Useful context |
description, inLanguage | A short summary and the site’s main language | Optional |
potentialAction | A SearchAction for an internal search box | No effect in Google |
A @graph holds several linked entities in one script block. Each has an @id, so the others can point to it instead of repeating its details.
The site
Carries the site name, alternate names and homepage URL, and points to its publisher.
publisher → OrganizationThe owner
Holds the logo and official profiles. Build it with our Organization generator and reference it here.
@id …/#organizationOne page
Describes a single page and says which site it belongs to. Every page can have its own.
isPartOf → WebSiteNo. Google stopped showing the sitelinks search box in November 2024 and removed it from its structured data documentation. SearchAction is still valid schema.org markup, and leaving it on your site causes no errors, but it no longer changes anything in Google.
That is why this generator leaves SearchAction off by default. If you still have it from an old plugin or template, there is no urgency to remove it. Focus instead on the name, url and alternateName properties that drive your site name.
"potentialAction": {
"@type": "SearchAction",
"target": {
"@type": "EntryPoint",
"urlTemplate":
"https://www.example.com/?s={search_term_string}"
},
"query-input": "required name=search_term_string"
}The generator above writes the code. These four steps take it live.
Add the site name, homepage URL and any alternate names.
Include the Organization, or reference the one you already have.
Copy the script tag, or download the JSON file.
Add it to the homepage head, then run the Rich Results Test.
Add WebSite markup once, on the homepage. Yoast, Rank Math and many themes already output it, so check your page source first and change the plugin’s site name setting rather than adding a second copy. Site name changes can take several weeks to show in Google after a recrawl.
Limit the code to your homepage.
Set the site name in Yoast or Rank Math first. Otherwise add the script to the homepage with a plugin such as WPCode.
Paste the script into theme.liquid before the closing head tag, inside a check for the home template.
Open the homepage’s SEO settings, choose Advanced SEO, then Structured data markup, and paste the JSON.
Create a Custom HTML tag with the script and fire it only on the homepage.
Short answers on site names, placement and the search box.
WebSite schema describes a whole website as one entity, with its name, alternate names, homepage URL and publisher. Google uses it, with other signals, to choose the site name shown above your search results.
For Google site names, name and url are required, and url must be the homepage. alternateName is recommended. Description, language and publisher are optional context.
On the homepage of each domain or subdomain, once. It describes the whole site, so you do not need to repeat it on every page.
Google treats the markup as a hint. If your title tag, headings or how other sites refer to you suggest a different name, Google may choose that. Use the same name everywhere and add alternateName as a fallback.
It lists other accepted names for your site, such as an acronym or a short form. Google may use one if your main name is not a good fit for the result.
No. Google retired the sitelinks search box in November 2024. SearchAction is still valid schema.org markup and causes no errors, but it no longer has any effect in Google.
They do different jobs. WebSite names the site, and Organization describes the business behind it, including its logo. Most homepages use both, linked with publisher and @id.
A graph holds several linked entities in one script block. Each node has an @id, so a WebSite can point to its publisher and a WebPage can point to its WebSite without repeating details.
Google says AI features need no special markup. A clear, consistent site name and publisher still help search engines identify your brand. It does not guarantee being cited.
Yes. It is completely free, with no sign-up and no limit. Everything runs in your browser, so your details are never uploaded to a server.
Your homepage markup is the anchor for everything else on your site.
Search Savvy’s technical SEO team fixes site name and favicon issues, cleans up duplicate schema and builds one consistent entity graph.