Vocabulary registry

Recommended values — v3.4

The controlled vocabularies the spec references — primaryVertical values, enums, and module keys. Rendered from the canonical Markdown source; additive across versions.

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citemap.json v3.4 Recommended Values Registry

Vocabulary for brand.taxonomy, @graph / relationships[] edge types, and the foundational-section catalog introduced in v3.3 and extended in v3.4. Versioned independently of the spec.

Registry version: 2026-06b Spec version: 3.4 Status: Living document License: MIT

Why a separate registry

The v3.3 spec defines the shape of brand.taxonomy, the @graph extension, and the foundational-section contract — field names, types, required/optional status, validator behavior. v3.4 leaves all that shape untouched; it only expands the vocabulary. The vocabulary is a different artifact: it evolves more frequently, doesn't change the protocol, and is what consumers cache.

This registry is referenced by v3.4's brand.taxonomy.taxonomyVersion field. Producers writing a citemap SHOULD set taxonomyVersion to the registry version they authored against (e.g. "2026-06b"); consumers that recognize the version interpret values according to that registry's semantics.

Adding a new vertical, modifier, or edge type triggers a registry version bump. Renames require a deprecation cycle of at least one published version interval — the old name keeps working via aliases while consumers migrate. Removals are last-resort and documented in the Deprecation Log with timeline.

What changed from v3.3-vocabulary

The v3.3 vocabulary (registry version 2026-06) carries forward into v3.4 with the following additions. No renames, no retirements — strictly additive.

primaryVertical Tier 1 additions (5):

  • industrial — Industrial / manufacturing B2B suppliers (filaments, fasteners, contract mfg, coatings, machining, fabrication). Closes the gap left by v3.3 retiring manufacturer + industrial-services for cross-sector industrial suppliers.
  • religious — Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, denominational ministries. Distinct from nonprofit — different directories (church-finder, denominational listings, service-time aggregators) + different SEO behavior.
  • it-services — MSPs, cybersecurity, cloud / IT consulting. Distinct from saas (product) and professional-services (catchall B2B advisory).
  • veterinary — Animal medicine. Distinct from pet-services (grooming/boarding/training) and healthcare (human medicine).
  • marketing-agency — PR, SEO, paid media, performance / growth marketing, communications. Distinct from creative-agency (brand/design/visual production).

primaryVertical Tier 2 additions (9):

  • funeral — Funeral homes, cremation services, cemeteries, monument companies, pre-need planning.
  • fitness — Gyms, CrossFit, yoga / Pilates, martial arts, climbing, boutique fitness. Distinct from beauty-wellness (appearance/wellbeing) — different directories (ClassPass, MindBody).
  • transportation — Passenger transport (limo, charter bus, shuttle, taxi) + specialty trucking (heavy haul, refrigerated, hazmat). Distinct from logistics (B2B supply-chain freight + fulfillment).
  • performing-arts — Theaters, music venues, comedy clubs, dance, opera, performing arts centers. Distinct from events-venue (event hosting) — these are the artistic production side.
  • cannabis — Cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, processors, hemp / CBD. Distinct ecosystem (Weedmaps, Leafly, state license registries, unique paid-ad constraints).
  • government — Municipal, county, state agencies, public utilities, school districts. Pairs with existing entityType: "government-entity" + organizationType: "government".
  • beverage-producer — Wineries, breweries, distilleries, cideries, kombucha producers. Distinct from food-beverage (broader retail/production) — has its own SEO + directories (Untappd, RateBeer, Distiller, Vivino).
  • photography — Photo + video studios. Distinct from creative-agency (multi-channel design work).
  • pharmacy — Independent + compounding + specialty pharmacies. Distinct from healthcare (provider) — dispensing-side function with its own retail + medical schema requirements.

Net count after v3.4: 28 Tier 1 + 17 Tier 2 = 45 recommended primaryVertical values (up from v3.3's 23 + 8 = 31). The Tier 1 count includes the v3.3 carryover plus the 5 v3.4 adds; the legacy local-business Tier 1 catchall remains RETIRED and is not in the active recommended set.

entityType deltas: none. Unchanged from v3.3.

organizationType deltas: none. Unchanged from v3.3.

modifiers deltas: none. Unchanged from v3.3.

Edge-type vocabulary deltas: none. The 13 v3.3 edge types carry forward unchanged.

Foundational-section catalog deltas: none. The 10 v3.3 foundational sections carry forward unchanged.

Alias-window updates: the four v3.3 legacy aliases (legal, financial, events, research) remain in the dual-write window through v3.4 per the v3.3 deprecation log. v3.5 is scheduled to drop the legacy names.

entityType

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. See v3.3-vocabulary §entityType for the full canonical list.

organizationType

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. See v3.3-vocabulary §organizationType for the full canonical list.

primaryVertical and additionalVerticals

Categorical bucket for the entity. Tier 1 values carry full playbook depth (well-developed AI behavior, query patterns, schema modules). Tier 2 values are supported with lighter depth.

Tier 1 — full playbook (28)

Value Description
home-services Trades and services delivered at the customer's home — plumbing, HVAC, roofing, landscaping, electrical, pest control, cleaning
construction Project-based building or major renovation — general contractors, custom homebuilders, commercial construction
automotive Auto dealerships, repair shops, body shops, tire shops, detailing
pet-services Pet grooming, boarding, training, walking, pet retail (animal medicine moved to veterinary in v3.4)
healthcare General medical practices, hospitals, urgent care, specialty clinics (non-dental, non-mental-health, non-senior, non-veterinary)
dental Dental practices, orthodontists, oral surgeons
mental-health Therapy, counseling, psychiatry, addiction treatment
senior-care Assisted living, memory care, in-home senior care, nursing facilities, hospice
beauty-wellness Salons, spas, med spas, massage therapy, esthetics, nutrition coaching (fitness moved to Tier 2 fitness in v3.4)
restaurant Dine-in restaurants, cafés, fast-casual, bars, food trucks
food-beverage Production and retail of consumables — bakeries, butchers, specialty grocers, bottle shops (dedicated beverage-producer Tier 2 since v3.4)
hospitality Hotels, motels, B&Bs, vacation rentals, boutique inns, resorts
recreation-tourism Outfitters, tour operators, adventure activities, museums, ski resorts, fishing guides
legal-services Law firms, attorneys, mediators, notaries (renamed from legal in v3.3)
financial-services Banks, financial advisors, accounting, bookkeeping, mortgage lending, fintech (renamed from financial in v3.3)
insurance Insurance agencies, brokers, carriers across personal and commercial lines
real-estate Real estate agents, brokerages, vacation rental management — the buying/selling transaction
property-services Property management, home inspection, staging, title and escrow, appraisal
professional-services B2B consulting, engineering firms, business coaching, recruiting, translation (IT services moved to dedicated it-services in v3.4)
retail Independent local retail with a physical storefront — boutiques, gift shops, bookstores, specialty retail
ecommerce Online-first retail, DTC brands, marketplace sellers
saas Software-as-a-service, cloud platforms, developer tools, AI/ML startups
creative-agency Brand, design, advertising, film production (marketing/PR moved to dedicated marketing-agency in v3.4; photography moved to Tier 2 photography in v3.4)
events-venue Event venues, event planners, wedding services, conference organizers, festivals (promoted from Tier 2 + renamed from events in v3.3)
industrial NEW in v3.4. Industrial / manufacturing B2B suppliers — specialty materials, contract manufacturers, machining, fabrication, industrial coatings / chemicals. Closes the gap left by v3.3 retiring manufacturer + industrial-services for cross-sector industrial suppliers. Pair with modifiers: ["manufacturing-direct"] for producers; modifiers: ["b2b"] always applicable
religious NEW in v3.4. Churches, mosques, temples, synagogues, denominational ministries, missions, parachurch organizations. Pair with organizationType: "nonprofit" (the default) when the entity is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3); religious is the vertical, nonprofit is the corporate form
it-services NEW in v3.4. MSPs, IT support firms, cybersecurity consultancies, cloud / DevOps consulting, network engineering, vendor-specific implementers. The service side of tech; saas is the product side
veterinary NEW in v3.4. Veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, mobile vets, specialty animal medicine (emergency, surgical, dental, exotic, equine, large animal). Distinct from pet-services (grooming/boarding/training) and healthcare (human medicine)
marketing-agency NEW in v3.4. PR firms, SEO agencies, paid media shops, content / inbound marketing, full-service digital, performance / growth marketing, influencer marketing. Distinct from creative-agency (brand/design/visual production)

Tier 2 — supported with lighter playbook (17)

Value Description
logistics Shipping, freight, moving companies, courier, last-mile, 3PL fulfillment
agriculture Farms, ranches, orchards, agricultural producers, agritourism, CSA
wholesale-distribution Wholesale distributors, B2B resellers, industrial supply houses
childcare-tutoring Daycare centers, preschools, tutoring centers, after-school programs
education Schools, universities, colleges, vocational training, online education
publisher Magazines, newspapers, blogs, podcasts, news sites, journals
science-research Research institutes, biotech, scientific laboratories, think tanks, market research (renamed from research in v3.3)
nonprofit 501(c)(3) charities, foundations, community organizations, NGOs
funeral NEW in v3.4. Funeral homes, mortuaries, cremation services, cemeteries, memorial parks, monument companies, pre-need planning
fitness NEW in v3.4. Gyms, CrossFit, yoga / Pilates / barre studios, martial arts, climbing, boutique fitness, dance studios. Distinct from beauty-wellness (appearance/wellbeing services)
transportation NEW in v3.4. Passenger transport — limo, charter bus, airport shuttle, taxi, ride-share — and specialty freight (heavy haul, refrigerated, hazmat). Distinct from logistics (B2B supply-chain)
performing-arts NEW in v3.4. Regional / community theater companies, live music venues, comedy clubs, dance companies, opera, ballet, symphony, performing arts centers. Distinct from events-venue (event hosting) — these are the artistic-production side
cannabis NEW in v3.4. Recreational + medical dispensaries, licensed cultivators, processors / extractors, hemp / CBD retailers. Distinct regulatory + directory ecosystem (Weedmaps, Leafly, state license registries)
government NEW in v3.4. Municipal, county, state agencies, public utilities, public school districts, public libraries, parks & recreation, government-owned enterprises. Pairs with entityType: "government-entity" + organizationType: "government"
beverage-producer NEW in v3.4. Wineries, microbreweries / craft breweries, distilleries, cideries, kombucha producers, non-alcoholic specialty beverages. Distinct from food-beverage (broader retail/production) — has its own SEO + directories
photography NEW in v3.4. Photography and video production studios — wedding, portrait, commercial, real-estate, headshot, event/sports, fashion. Distinct from creative-agency (multi-channel design work)
pharmacy NEW in v3.4. Independent retail pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, specialty pharmacies (rare-disease, infusion), long-term-care, mail-order. Distinct from healthcare (provider)

Aliases (legacy names — emit via dual-write per v3.3 §5.5)

Producers SHOULD use the v3.3/v3.4 canonical vertical names. Consumers reading legacy names SHOULD map via the alias table during the dual-write window. v3.5 drops the legacy names.

Legacy v3.2 name v3.3/v3.4 canonical name
legal legal-services
financial financial-services
events events-venue
research science-research

Catchalls and retired entries

The following values are RETIRED in v3.3 and remain retired in v3.4 — they remain valid strings for back-compat (validators MUST NOT reject them per v3.3 §6) but are no longer recommended as primaryVertical. Producers MUST migrate to a real vertical per the suggested replacements:

Value Status Replacement
local-business RETIRED (was already deprecated in v3.2; v3.3 confirms) Pick a real specific vertical + modifiers: ["local"] + Property.scope: "local". The siteType enum still includes local-business for module-gating back-compat.
manufacturer RETIRED in v3.3 In v3.4: pick industrial if a cross-sector industrial supplier; otherwise pick the entity's actual downstream vertical (food-beverage, ecommerce, etc.) + modifiers: ["manufacturing-direct"]
membership-org RETIRED in v3.3 Closest content vertical (nonprofit, religious, legal-services, science-research, etc.) + organizationType: "membership-organization"
industrial-services RETIRED in v3.3 In v3.4: pick industrial for industrial B2B; otherwise the real work vertical (construction, logistics, professional-services, etc.) + modifiers: ["b2b"]

Validators SHOULD warn on retired values per v3.3 §9.8 and suggest the migration target consistent with the entity's existing modifiers and organizationType.

Edge type vocabulary

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. The 13 edge types (7 schema.org-mirrored + 6 CiteMaps extensions) defined in v3.3 §2 remain canonical in v3.4. See v3.3-vocabulary §Edge type vocabulary.

Foundational sections

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. The 10 always-on foundational sections defined in v3.3 §3 remain canonical in v3.4. See v3.3-vocabulary §Foundational sections.

modifiers

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. See v3.3-vocabulary §modifiers for the full canonical list. manufacturing-direct (added in v3.3 as manufacturer retired from primaryVertical) becomes even more central in v3.4 with the new industrial vertical — most industrial entities will pair with modifiers: ["manufacturing-direct", "b2b"].

Versioning Policy

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged.

Deprecation Log

2026-06b (v3.4 release)

No deprecations. v3.4 is strictly additive. The four v3.3 legacy aliases (legal, financial, events, research) carry forward in the dual-write window; v3.5 is scheduled to drop them per the original v3.3 schedule.

2026-06 (v3.3 release)

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged. Four renames + four retirements per the v3.3 deprecation log. The v3.4 industrial vertical provides the natural replacement target for manufacturer + industrial-services cross-sector industrial suppliers.

2026-05 (v3.2-vocabulary baseline)

Carried forward from v3.3-vocabulary unchanged.

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