Schema.org adds "displayLocation," enabling the physical retail world to become machine-readable
BERLIN, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A major upgrade to the web's structured-data ecosystem launched this week with the introduction of a new "on display" signal that allows brick-and-mortar businesses to tell AI systems and search engines which items are physically on display inside real-world stores and showrooms. The update, proposed by showroom.fm and included in schema.org's new release, fills a long-standing gap between digital search and the in-person retail experience.
For years, structured data has emphasized e-commerce with properties such as "in stock." But it was not able to express a common question in high-consideration retail: "Where can I see this item in person?" As consumers increasingly ask AI assistants instead of browsing multiple websites, this missing layer has constrained the accuracy of local product discovery.
A Missing Layer for High-Consideration Retail
Categories such as furniture, appliances, luxury goods, vehicles, and art often require an in-person visit before a purchase. Yet the items on display in showrooms have been largely invisible to AI systems.
"Retailers put enormous effort into their showrooms, but until now there was no way to publish what's actually on the floor using the world's most common data standard for the web," said Vasco Sommer-Nunes, founder of showroom.fm and initiator of the new displayLocation property. "AI and search engines could understand if something was in stock, but not if a customer could evaluate it in person. displayLocation changes that."
AI Assistants Gain a Clearer View of the Real World
AI systems increasingly call stores, check availability, and guide users toward nearby options. But without structured "on display" information, they rely on assumptions or incomplete data. The new displayLocation property provides a precise, machine-readable signal that supports:
- More accurate answers from AI assistants
- Fewer misdirected store visits
- Lower environmental impact
- Stronger omnichannel experiences
Early Support From Retailers and Agencies
Showroom.fm, a platform enabling physical retailers to publish structured showroom data, has already added displayLocation to its dealer pages. Retailers can now make their on-display inventory understandable not only to customers but also to search engines, large language models, and partner websites.
A Foundation for the Next Phase of Retail Search
As an open web standard, displayLocation makes "on display" data universally accessible, allowing both today's AI models and future generations to interpret physical retail with the same clarity.
About showroom.fm
Showroom.fm is a platform that enables physical retailers to make their in-store inventory visible online in a structured, AI-ready format. Retailers can publish what's on display through an intuitive dashboard, by uploading .csv files, or by connecting via API. Showroom.fm proposed the new schema.org property in October, and it has now been accepted and released as part of the public standard. Learn more at: https://schema.org/displayLocation
Media Contact
Vasco Sommer-Nunes, Founder
Web: https://www.showroom.fm
Press kit: https://www.showroom.fm/media/press-kit
Email: press@showroom.fm Phone: +49 30 22908290
Berlin, Germany
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