This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a user equipment (UE), operating in a shared spectrum in a connected state or an idle state, to receive a channel occupancy time structure information (COT-SI) which includes one or more of a COT duration, a COT end symbol, and a COT pause indication, in addition to slot format indication for one or more slots. Some aspects described herein define a hierarchical approach to COT structure information (COT-SI) signaling. For example, a UE may be configured with a set of short COT tables using remaining minimum system information (RMSI) signaling and may receive concatenation of COT-SI signaling identifying index values in a control channel corresponding to one or more of the set of COT tables. Based on receiving COT-SI signaling, the UE may communicate in accordance with an occurrence of a COT.