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SpecialAnnouncement

SpecialAnnouncement is a CreativeWork subtype for urgent public notices: emergency closures, health advisories, schedule changes, government bulletins, weather alerts. It has 13 properties of its own. Originally created for COVID-19, the type applies to any situation where an organization needs to publish a date-stamped notice with links to authoritative sources. Google reads it for a special announcement rich result panel.

The type hierarchy is Thing → CreativeWork → SpecialAnnouncement. The most useful properties are datePosted (when the announcement was published), announcementLocation (what place it affects), category (classification), and the info-link properties like newsUpdatesAndGuidelines and governmentBenefitsInfo.

Full example of schema.org/SpecialAnnouncement json-ld markup

The markup is verified as valid with Rich Results Test from Google.

Highlight legend:Required by GoogleRecommendedOptional
schema.org/SpecialAnnouncement
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SpecialAnnouncement",
  "name": "The Thunderdome: Temporary Closure for Maintenance",
  "datePosted": "2026-12-01",
  "text": "The Thunderdome conference center will be closed December 15-22 for scheduled HVAC maintenance and safety inspections. All events during this period have been rescheduled. See the updated calendar for new dates.",
  "url": "https://dunmore.gov/announcements/thunderdome-maintenance-dec-2026",
  "announcementLocation": {
    "@id": "https://thunderdomedunmore.com#attraction",
    "@type": "CivicStructure",
    "name": "The Thunderdome",
    "address": {
      "@type": "PostalAddress",
      "streetAddress": "500 Main Street",
      "addressLocality": "Dunmore",
      "addressRegion": "PA",
      "addressCountry": "US"
    }
  },
  "category": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q702630",
  "newsUpdatesAndGuidelines": "https://thunderdomedunmore.com/news/maintenance-dec-2026",
  "expires": "2026-12-22"
}
</script>

datePosted and announcementLocation

datePosted is when the announcement went live. announcementLocation takes a CivicStructure or LocalBusiness that the announcement affects. A library closure notice would set announcementLocation to the library. Google shows the location on the announcement card so users know which venue is affected.

Beyond COVID

The COVID-specific properties (diseasePreventionInfo, quarantineGuidelines, gettingTestedInfo) are still in the spec but see limited use. The general properties (datePosted, announcementLocation, category, newsUpdatesAndGuidelines) work for any emergency: weather closures, construction notices, service disruptions, security alerts.

Minimal valid version

The smallest markup that still produces a valid SpecialAnnouncement entity. Use it as the floor. Reach for the advanced example above when you want search engines and AI agents to understand more about your content.

schema.org/SpecialAnnouncement (minimal)
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "SpecialAnnouncement",
  "name": "The Thunderdome: Temporary Closure for Maintenance",
  "datePosted": "2026-12-01",
  "text": "The Thunderdome will be closed December 15-22 for maintenance.",
  "announcementLocation": { "@type": "CivicStructure", "name": "The Thunderdome" }
}
</script>

Google rich results this unlocks

Markup matching this example makes your page eligible for the following Google Search rich results. The primary target drives the required / recommended property classification in the advanced code block above.

Common SpecialAnnouncement mistakes

Mistakes that pass validation but silently fail to earn rich results or mislead consumers walking the graph. Avoid these and your markup will be ahead of most sites in the wild.

  1. 01

    Missing datePosted

    Wrong
    SpecialAnnouncement with no datePosted
    Right
    "datePosted": "2026-12-01"

    datePosted tells readers and Google when the announcement was published. Without it, there is no way to tell if the notice is current or stale. Expired announcements without dates may linger in search results.

  2. 02

    Missing announcementLocation

    Wrong
    SpecialAnnouncement with no location
    Right
    "announcementLocation": { "@type": "CivicStructure", "name": "The Thunderdome" }

    announcementLocation tells users which place is affected. Google shows the location on the announcement card. Without it, the announcement is geographically orphaned.

  3. 03

    Using Article for an emergency notice

    Wrong
    "@type": "Article" for a closure notice or emergency bulletin
    Right
    "@type": "SpecialAnnouncement"

    SpecialAnnouncement triggers a dedicated Google rich result panel with date, location, and links to authoritative sources. Article does not. The subtype signals urgency and public relevance.

Schema properties in this example

SpecialAnnouncementnamedatePostedtexturlannouncementLocationCivicStructurePostalAddresscategorynewsUpdatesAndGuidelinesexpires

About the example data

A temporary closure notice for The Thunderdome in Dunmore due to a scheduled maintenance shutdown, published by the Borough of Dunmore.

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