CourseInstance structured data for Wix Online Programs: full implementation guide

Wix added native CourseInstance structured data support for Online Programs in January 2024. Course and CourseInstance schema allows Google to display rich results for your online course pages — including course name, provider, duration and schedule — directly in search results. This lesson covers the complete implementation and verification process.

What CourseInstance Schema Unlocks

CourseInstance is a Schema.org type that represents a specific offering or scheduling of a course. When correctly implemented, it enables Google to display structured course information in search results and potentially include your course in Google's course carousel features. The parent Course schema provides the general course information; CourseInstance provides the specific offering details like start date, modality and instructor.

How Wix Generates Course Schema Automatically

• Wix Online Programs pages generate Course schema automatically from program settings
• Program title populates the Course name property
• Program description populates the description property
• Provider information comes from your business name and URL in Wix settings
• CourseInstance is generated with modality (online) and schedule where configured
• Automatic schema applies to all Online Programs pages without manual code

Extending the Automatic Schema with Custom Code

Adding custom CourseInstance properties on Wix

• Navigate to Settings > Custom Code in your Wix Dashboard
• Add a JSON-LD script to the page head of your Online Programs page
• Include properties not covered by automatic Wix schema: numberOfCredits, competencyRequired, educationalProgramMode
• Add instructorName with a Person schema nested inside CourseInstance
• Include aggregateRating if you have genuine course reviews to display
• Test the combined automatic + manual schema in Google Rich Results Test

How to Verify and Test CourseInstance Schema on Your Wix Online Programs Page

How to check CourseInstance structured data is working correctly on a Wix Online Programs page

• Open your published Wix Online Programs page in a browser and copy the full page URL from the address bar.
• Open the Google Rich Results Test at search.google.com/test/rich-results in a new tab.
• Paste your Online Programs page URL into the URL field and click Test URL.
• Wait for the test to complete and review the detected structured data types. Look for Course or CourseInstance in the results.
• If Course schema is detected with no errors, the automatic Wix schema is working correctly. If warnings appear, note them — warnings do not prevent eligibility but errors do.
• If you have added custom JSON-LD via Wix Custom Code, click the Code tab in the Rich Results Test to see the full schema markup and confirm your custom additions are present alongside the automatic schema.
• Fix any errors by revisiting your custom JSON-LD in the Wix Dashboard > Settings > Custom Code and correcting the specific field or syntax flagged in the test results.
• After fixing any errors, retest the URL in the Rich Results Test to confirm all issues are resolved.
• Open Google Search Console and navigate to the URL Inspection tool. Enter your Online Programs page URL and click Request Indexing to prompt Google to crawl the page with the verified schema.
• After 2-4 weeks, check GSC Enhancements in the left sidebar for a Courses section — if Google is reading your CourseInstance schema successfully, impression data will appear there.