The Shikigesha shrines include shrines which were out of the Imperial Court's sphere, shrines which had their own influence (such as Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine), shrines which were thought to enshrine the Buddha due to the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, shrines which were under Buddhist priests' control (such as Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine), and shrines which did not have a formal shrine building.
式外社には、朝廷の勢力範囲外の神社や、独自の勢力を持っていた神社（熊野那智大社など）、また、神仏習合により仏を祀る寺であると認識されていた神社、僧が管理をしていた神社（石清水八幡宮など）、正式な社殿を有していなかった神社などが含まれる。