Is your schema markup valid for schema.org and for Google?
This free schema markup validator checks JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa in your browser. It tests every type and property against the full schema.org vocabulary, shows which of Google's 25 rich result features your markup has the required properties for, names the features Google has retired, and maps how your entities connect. A bookmark also shows what JavaScript adds to a page, and whether 10 pages of a site describe the same organization the same way. Nothing is uploaded.
Part 1
Validate your markup
Paste markup or a page's source, or send a live page with a bookmark.
1. Is your structured data valid, and what can Google do with it?
Paste JSON-LD, a script block or a page's full source. The validator lists every problem with a fix, the Google features your markup has the required properties for, and how your entities connect.
How do I copy a page's source?
- Open the page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox.
- Press Ctrl+U (Cmd+Option+U on a Mac) to open View Source.
- Select all, copy, and paste it into the box below.
Confirmed View Source shows the HTML the server sent, before any script runs. To include markup that JavaScript adds, use the bookmark in question 2
Directional The rules copy Google's documentation as of 23 October 2026 and cannot see Google's own decisions; confirm with Google's Rich Results Test before you rely on a feature
2. How do you check a live page, including markup that JavaScript adds?
Use a bookmark. It runs on the page you are viewing and sends that page here twice, as your browser rendered it and as the server sent it, so the validator can show what JavaScript added, changed or removed.
- Drag Validate this page to your bookmarks bar, or and paste it as the address of a new bookmark.
- Open the page you want to check and click the bookmark. This tool opens with the page filled in.
- Press Validate markup. The last table shows which items are in the server HTML and which JavaScript added.
To check that a site describes itself the same way on every page, use Validate 10 pages (or ). It reads the page you are on and up to nine links to the same site, then compares the Organization, Person and WebSite nodes across them.
| What it opens | Only plain links to the same site that appear on the page; never links with a query string, and never login, account, cart, checkout or feed links |
|---|---|
| How | In your own browser, with your own session, so a logged-in visit can differ from what a crawler sees |
| What it sends | The pages' HTML to this tab only, by browser messaging; nothing passes through a server |
| Where it fails | Mobile browsers, and sites whose security policy blocks bookmarks; paste View Source instead |
Directional The 10-page bookmark reads server HTML, which is what crawlers that do not run JavaScript receive; the one-page bookmark also reads the rendered page
3. What does the validator check?
Eight layers, from whether the markup can be read at all to whether a whole site describes one entity consistently.
| Layer | What it checks | Checked against |
|---|---|---|
| Syntax | JSON errors with the line, column and cause in plain English (trailing commas, curly quotes, comments, missing commas); a repaired copy for review | The JSON standard |
| Formats | JSON-LD blocks, Microdata items (with itemref and itemid) and RDFa Lite, including schema: prefixes; Open Graph tags are left alone | The HTML Microdata and RDFa Lite specifications |
| Vocabulary | 939 types, 1,538 properties and 546 allowed values: unknown and misspelled terms with a suggestion, properties on the wrong type, replaced and pending terms | schema.org 30.1 |
| Values | The type each property expects: dates, durations, numbers, true or false, full URLs, allowed values such as InStock, and nested objects of the right type | schema.org 30.1 |
| Google features | Required and recommended properties for the 25 features in Google's gallery, plus site names and book actions | Google Search Central, 23 October 2026 |
| Retired features | FAQ, How-to, sitelinks search box, the five features removed in 2025, fact check and practice problems, each with its date | Google's documentation updates |
| Entities | How nodes link by @id, references to nodes the page does not define, one @id with two different values, two WebSite nodes on one page | JSON-LD node rules |
| Pages | With a bookmark: server HTML against the rendered page, and the same organization, person or website across 10 pages | Your own pages |
Confirmed Counts are from the schema.org 30.1 vocabulary file downloaded on 23 October 2026; the tests that prove each check are in this site's source
Part 2
Read the results
What each level and status means, what Google requires for each feature, and which features are gone.
4. What do Error, Warning and Note mean?
Errors stop markup being read or used, warnings are probable mistakes, and notes are worth knowing but are not faults.
| Level | Means | Do |
|---|---|---|
| Error | Broken JSON, an unknown type, or a requirement the markup cannot work without | Fix before you publish |
| Warning | Parsers will ignore or misread it: a misspelled property, a wrong value, a relative URL | Fix when you next edit |
| Note | Context, such as retired markup or a reference defined on another page | Check it is intended |
Directional The levels are this tool's judgment; Google's tools use their own wording
5. What does "Has required" mean in the features table?
That the item has every property Google lists as required for that feature, which makes it eligible; Google still decides whether to show a rich result.
| Has required | Eligible on structure; recommended properties can still improve it |
|---|---|
| Missing required | Not eligible until the listed properties are added |
| Limited | The feature is beta, partner-only or narrow, as the note says |
| Retired | Google no longer shows it; the markup does no harm |
Confirmed Google: required properties are the minimum for eligibility, recommended ones help, and valid markup does not guarantee a rich result
6. What does Google require for each rich result feature?
Each of the 25 features in Google's gallery has its own required properties; the validator checks all of them, plus site names and book actions.
| Feature | Markup | Required | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Article | Article, NewsArticle, BlogPosting | None; author, dates, headline and image recommended | |
| Breadcrumb | BreadcrumbList | Each item: position, name and item (the URL), except item on the last | Desktop results only since January 2025 |
| Carousel | ItemList | Each item: position and url, or an item with name and url | Only with courses, movies, recipes or restaurants |
| Course list | Course | name, description | provider recommended |
| Dataset | Dataset | name, description of 50 to 5,000 characters | Used by Dataset Search |
| Discussion forum | DiscussionForumPosting | author with name, datePublished, and text, image or video | Posts written by users only |
| Education Q&A | Quiz | Questions with text, acceptedAnswer and eduQuestionType Flashcard | Education flashcards |
| Employer aggregate rating | EmployerAggregateRating | itemReviewed, ratingValue, ratingCount or reviewCount | |
| Event | Event | name, startDate, location with an address | Physical events only |
| Image metadata | ImageObject | contentUrl, plus creator, creditText, copyrightNotice or license | |
| Job posting | JobPosting | title, description, datePosted, hiringOrganization with name, jobLocation (or applicantLocationRequirements for remote jobs) | |
| Local business | LocalBusiness and its subtypes | name, address | Use the most specific subtype |
| Math solver | MathSolver with LearningResource | url, usageInfo, learningResourceType, potentialAction with target and mathExpression-input | Home page only |
| Movie | Movie | name, image | In a list of movies |
| Organization | Organization and its subtypes | None; name, url, logo, sameAs and contact details recommended | Home page or one About page |
| Product snippet | Product | name, and offers, review or aggregateRating; an Offer needs price | |
| Merchant listing | Product with an Offer | name, image, price above 0, priceCurrency | Pages where people can buy from you |
| Profile page | ProfilePage | mainEntity with name (or alternateName) | About one person or organization |
| Q&A | QAPage | Question with name, answerCount, and an accepted or suggested answer with text | Users must be able to answer |
| Recipe | Recipe | name, image | |
| Review snippet | Review, AggregateRating | Review: author, reviewRating with ratingValue, itemReviewed unless nested. Rating: ratingValue, ratingCount or reviewCount | No reviews a business controls about itself |
| Software app | SoftwareApplication | name, offers.price, aggregateRating or review | |
| Speakable | speakable on Article or WebPage | cssSelector or xpath, not both | Beta, US English |
| Subscription and paywalled content | Article and other CreativeWork types | isAccessibleForFree | hasPart with a .class selector recommended |
| Vacation rental | VacationRental | name, identifier, 8 or more images, latitude, longitude, containsPlace with occupancy | Partners with Hotel Center access |
| Video | VideoObject | name, thumbnailUrl, uploadDate | |
| Site name | WebSite | name, url | Home page only; not in the gallery |
| Book actions | Book with potentialAction | Set up with Google | Partner feature; not in the gallery |
Confirmed From each feature's page on Google Search Central and the search gallery (last updated 16 October 2026), read on 23 October 2026
7. Which rich results has Google retired?
Ten features since 2023, including FAQ (7 May 2026), How-to (2023) and the sitelinks search box (21 November 2024); fact check is still being phased out. The validator names each one it finds; the markup does no harm, but it no longer earns anything in Google Search.
| Feature | Markup that triggers the note | Ended |
|---|---|---|
| FAQ | FAQPage | 7 May 2026; documentation removed 15 June 2026 |
| Practice problems | Quiz with questions that are not flashcards | Documentation removed 6 January 2026 |
| Course info, estimated salary, learning video, special announcement, vehicle listing | Course details such as hasCourseInstance; Occupation with estimatedSalary; VideoObject that is also a LearningResource; SpecialAnnouncement; Vehicle with offers | 2025; documentation removed 9 September 2025 |
| Sitelinks search box | WebSite with a SearchAction | 21 November 2024 |
| How-to | HowTo | 2023 |
| Fact check | ClaimReview | Being phased out, no end date; Fact Check Explorer still reads it |
Course list markup still works, and so does WebSite markup for site names: only the extra parts listed here stopped producing results.
Confirmed Google's documentation updates log, its June 2025 and October 2024 posts and its ClaimReview page, read on 23 October 2026; Google says leftover sitelinks search box markup causes no errors
Part 3
Choose the right validator
How this tool differs from Google's and schema.org's validators, and the order to use them in.
8. How is this different from Google's Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator?
Google's test is the final word on Google features, and schema.org's validator checks the vocabulary. This tool checks both in your browser, from a dated copy of Google's rules, and adds retired features, a JavaScript comparison and a check across pages.
| Feature | This validator | Google Rich Results Test | Schema Markup Validator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input | Pasted markup or page source; a bookmark for live pages | URL or code | URL or code |
| Formats | JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa Lite | JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa | JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa |
| schema.org vocabulary | All of it, with spelling suggestions | The properties its features use | All of it |
| Google requirements | All 25 gallery features, with the date checked | Yes: Google's own, always current | No; it does not check any one service's rules |
| Retired features | Named, with dates | No longer reported | Not covered |
| JavaScript | Compares server HTML with the rendered page | Renders the page as Google does | Not documented |
| Several pages | Up to 10, compared for consistent entities | One at a time | One at a time |
| Microdata to JSON-LD | Yes | No | No |
| Where it runs | Your browser | Google's servers | A server |
Directional Compared from each tool's own documentation and use on 23 October 2026; the other two tools change without notice
9. In what order should you use them?
Find and fix problems here, confirm Google's view in the Rich Results Test, then watch Search Console after you publish.
- Validate here while you write or edit the markup.
- Run the live page through Google's Rich Results Test.
- After publishing, use URL Inspection and the rich result reports in Search Console.
Confirmed Google recommends the Rich Results Test and URL Inspection for testing structured data
10. What happened to Google's Structured Data Testing Tool?
Google retired it; it moved to schema.org as the Schema Markup Validator in 2021, and Google points people to the Rich Results Test for its own features.
People still search for the old tool by name. This validator covers what it did, a vocabulary check across all three formats, and adds Google's current feature rules.
Confirmed schema.org's May 2021 announcement of validator.schema.org
Part 4
What do popular sites get wrong?
An original snapshot: this validator run on the home pages of the 115 sites from the robots.txt study.
11. How do 81 popular home pages use structured data?
Three in four carry schema.org markup in their server HTML, almost always as JSON-LD, and 44% still carry the sitelinks search box markup that Google retired in November 2024.
| Measure | Home pages |
|---|---|
| Any schema.org markup in the server HTML | 61 of 81 (75%) |
| Uses JSON-LD | 57 of 61 (93%) |
| Uses Microdata | 7 of 61 (11%), 4 of them Microdata only |
| Uses RDFa | 0 |
| No errors or warnings | 36 of 61 (59%) |
| At least one error | 10 of 61 (16%) |
| At least one warning | 20 of 61 (33%) |
| Invalid JSON | 0 |
| A vocabulary mistake (unknown or misplaced term, replaced property, invalid value) | 8 of 61 (13%) |
| Sitelinks search box markup (retired 21 November 2024) | 27 of 61 (44%) |
| Markup for any retired feature (adds FAQ and How-to) | 31 of 61 (51%) |
| WebSite markup with the name and url Google's site names need | 31 of 61 |
| Organization (or a subtype) as a top-level node | 40 of 61 |
Confirmed Observed on 23 October 2026: each home page was fetched once and checked with the validator above
12. What stands out in the data?
Big sites rarely break their JSON, but they leave retired markup in place and make small vocabulary slips.
- Not one page had a JSON syntax error: most markup is generated, not typed by hand
- 27 sites still describe a search box Google stopped showing 23 months ago
- 4 sites still carry FAQ markup five months after FAQ results ended; 2 site builders also carry How-to markup
- The most common error was a breadcrumb trail with one item on the home page (6 sites)
- Slips include a British spelling of a type, a lowercase type name,
contentURLforcontentUrl, replaced properties such asfounders, and phone options schema.org does not define - 2 home pages carry two different WebSite nodes, the usual sign of a theme and a plugin both adding one
- 20 home pages carried no markup in their server HTML, among them several large apps that build pages with JavaScript
Directional Interpretation of one snapshot of home pages; inner pages usually carry more types
13. How was this measured, and what are the limits?
The 115 hand-picked sites from the robots.txt study; 81 home pages could be read, and each was checked once on 23 October 2026.
- Not a random sample, so it does not show what "the web" does
- Server HTML only: markup that JavaScript adds was not counted
- The request named itself as a research bot; 31 sites refused it (HTTP 401, 402, 403 or 429) and 3 did not answer
- Fetched from one location, so a few sites served a regional version of their home page
- Errors and warnings use this validator's rules, not Google's verdicts
Confirmed Method and limits as stated; paste any home page's source above to reproduce its row
14. What did each site have?
Every site in the list, with its formats, top-level types, counts of errors and warnings, and any retired markup.
Show all 115 sites
| Site | Formats | Top-level types | Errors | Warnings | Retired feature markup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ahrefs.com | JSON-LD | Organization | 0 | 0 | - |
| airbnb.com | JSON-LD | WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| alibaba.com | JSON-LD | WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| aliexpress.com | JSON-LD | WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| allrecipes.com | Not read (HTTP 402) | ||||
| amazon.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| anthropic.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| apnews.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| apple.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| atlassian.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage, SoftwareApplication | 0 | 8 | Sitelinks search box |
| axios.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| backlinko.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, ImageObject, WebSite, Organization | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| bankrate.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, Organization | 0 | 0 | - |
| bbc.com | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 0 | - |
| bbcgoodfood.com | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 2 | - |
| bestbuy.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| bloomberg.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| booking.com | JSON-LD | WebSite, Corporation, ImageObject, Person | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| britannica.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| businessinsider.com | JSON-LD | CollectionPage, WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| canva.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| cloudflare.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| cnet.com | JSON-LD | Person, WebSite, ImageObject, WebPage +1 | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| cnn.com | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 1 | Sitelinks search box |
| coursera.org | JSON-LD | FAQPage, Organization | 0 | 0 | FAQ |
| dailymail.co.uk | JSON-LD, Microdata | WebSite, CollectionPage | 3 | 3 | - |
| dropbox.com | JSON-LD | BreadcrumbList, SoftwareApplication, Organization | 1 | 0 | - |
| ebay.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| elpais.com | JSON-LD | BreadcrumbList, WebSite, WPHeader, WPFooter +2 | 0 | 0 | - |
| etsy.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| expedia.com | Not read (HTTP 429) | ||||
| facebook.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| figma.com | JSON-LD | Organization | 0 | 0 | - |
| forbes.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| foxnews.com | JSON-LD | NewsMediaOrganization, WebSite, WebPage, VideoObject | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| github.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| glassdoor.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| google.com | Microdata | WebPage | 0 | 1 | - |
| harvard.edu | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 1 | - |
| healthline.com | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 0 | - |
| homedepot.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| hubspot.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage, Product | 0 | 2 | - |
| huffpost.com | JSON-LD | NewsMediaOrganization, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| ikea.com | JSON-LD | Organization | 0 | 0 | - |
| imdb.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| indeed.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| independent.co.uk | JSON-LD | Organization | 0 | 0 | - |
| investopedia.com | Not read (HTTP 402) | ||||
| khanacademy.org | Microdata | Organization | 1 | 0 | - |
| lemonde.fr | JSON-LD | NewsMediaOrganization | 0 | 0 | - |
| linkedin.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| mailchimp.com | JSON-LD | Service | 0 | 0 | - |
| mayoclinic.org | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| medium.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| microsoft.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| mit.edu | None | - | - | - | - |
| moz.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, Organization, BreadcrumbList | 1 | 1 | - |
| nbcnews.com | JSON-LD | CollectionPage, Dataset, WebSite | 0 | 8 | Sitelinks search box |
| nerdwallet.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| netflix.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| nih.gov | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| nike.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, Organization, WebSite | 0 | 4 | Sitelinks search box |
| notion.so | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, SoftwareApplication | 0 | 2 | - |
| npr.org | Not read (no response) | ||||
| nytimes.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| openai.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| pcmag.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| perplexity.ai | None | - | - | - | - |
| pinterest.com | JSON-LD | WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| quora.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| reddit.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| reuters.com | Not read (HTTP 401) | ||||
| salesforce.com | JSON-LD | Organization | 0 | 0 | FAQ |
| searchenginejournal.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite | 0 | 0 | - |
| searchengineland.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| semrush.com | JSON-LD, Microdata | Organization, WebSite | 0 | 0 | - |
| shopify.com | JSON-LD, Microdata | Corporation, SiteNavigationElement | 0 | 0 | - |
| slack.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| spiegel.de | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 0 | - |
| spotify.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| squarespace.com | JSON-LD | WebSite, Organization, LocalBusiness, HowTo +1 | 2 | 1 | How-to, FAQ |
| stackoverflow.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| stanford.edu | None | - | - | - | - |
| stripe.com | JSON-LD | WebSite, Organization | 0 | 1 | - |
| target.com | JSON-LD | WebPage | 0 | 0 | - |
| techcrunch.com | JSON-LD | CollectionPage, BreadcrumbList, WebSite, Organization | 1 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| telegraph.co.uk | Not read (HTTP 402) | ||||
| theatlantic.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| theguardian.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| theverge.com | JSON-LD | NewsMediaOrganization, WebSite | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| time.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebPage, BreadcrumbList | 1 | 1 | - |
| tomsguide.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, WebSite, SiteNavigationElement, ItemList | 0 | 8 | Sitelinks search box |
| tripadvisor.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| tumblr.com | Not read (no response) | ||||
| udemy.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| usatoday.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| vox.com | JSON-LD | NewsMediaOrganization, WebSite | 0 | 1 | Sitelinks search box |
| walmart.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite | 0 | 1 | Sitelinks search box |
| washingtonpost.com | Not read (no response) | ||||
| wayfair.com | Microdata | SiteNavigationElement | 0 | 1 | - |
| webmd.com | Microdata | SiteNavigationElement | 0 | 0 | - |
| who.int | JSON-LD | WebSite, Organization, WebPage | 1 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| wikipedia.org | None | - | - | - | - |
| wired.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, ItemList | 0 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| wix.com | JSON-LD | HowTo, VideoObject, Organization, FAQPage | 0 | 0 | How-to, FAQ |
| wordpress.com | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, BreadcrumbList, ImageObject +1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| wordpress.org | JSON-LD | Organization, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 0 | - |
| wsj.com | Not read (HTTP 401) | ||||
| x.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| yelp.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| yoast.com | JSON-LD | WebPage, ImageObject, BreadcrumbList, WebSite +1 | 1 | 0 | Sitelinks search box |
| youtube.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| zara.com | Not read (HTTP 403) | ||||
| zillow.com | None | - | - | - | - |
| zoom.us | JSON-LD | Corporation, WebSite, WebPage | 0 | 1 | Sitelinks search box |
Confirmed Results as observed on 23 October 2026; sites change their markup often
Part 5
Fix the common errors
The mistakes the validator finds most, and what markup does and does not do for AI answers.
15. What are the most common structured data errors, and how do you fix them?
Most are small: a misspelled or replaced term, a value schema.org does not allow, a relative URL, or markup a theme and a plugin both add.
| What you see | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown type | British spelling (Organisation) or wrong case (itemList) | Use the exact schema.org name; the validator suggests it |
| Property is not in schema.org | A made-up property, or wrong case such as contentURL | Fix the case, or remove the property |
| Property is not defined for this type | Right property, wrong node, such as logo on WebSite | Move it to the node it describes, here the Organization |
| Replaced by another property | Old names such as reviews, founders or employees | Use review, founder or employee |
| Not a valid value | Free text where schema.org has a list, such as "In stock" | Use the listed value: https://schema.org/InStock |
| Not an ISO 8601 date | A written date such as "March 5, 1998" | Write 1998-03-05 |
| Not a full URL | /logo.png, or a profile written as www.example.com/name | Start every URL with https:// |
| Breadcrumb needs two items | A one-item trail on the home page | Leave breadcrumbs off the home page, or give the full trail |
| Two WebSite nodes | The theme and an SEO plugin both output one | Turn one source off |
| One @id with different values | The same entity described twice, differently | Describe it once and point to it with {"@id": …} |
| itemprop outside any itemscope | Leftover Microdata in a theme | Wrap it in an item, or remove it |
| Not valid JSON | Hand edits: trailing commas, curly quotes, comments | Fix the line shown; check the repaired copy |
| Only in the rendered page | A tag manager or script adds the markup | Move it into the server HTML if AI crawlers matter to you |
Confirmed Each row is a finding this validator reports; most were seen on the home pages in Part 4
16. Does structured data help with AI Overviews and AI assistants?
Google says its AI features need no special schema, only markup that matches the visible text; it does not say markup earns AI citations.
Markup still helps any system read who and what a page is about, so keep it accurate. If AI crawlers matter to you, put it in the server HTML: in a December 2024 measurement, Vercel found the major AI crawlers did not run JavaScript.
To see which AI bots may read your pages at all, use the robots.txt checker; to record what AI answers say about you, use the AI visibility check.
Confirmed Google's AI features page; the crawler finding is Directional, from Vercel's 2024 data, and crawlers can change
17. What if you need to write the markup from scratch?
Use the schema markup generator: it builds JSON-LD for twelve types, then bring the result back here to validate it on the page.
For a brand or founder that Google confuses with someone else, the generator's linked Person and Organization graph is the place to start.
Directional The generator covers the most requested types; it does not cover every gallery feature
Part 6
Questions answered
Short answers to the questions that come up most.
18. What do people ask about validating schema markup?
Does valid markup guarantee a rich result?
No. Required properties make markup eligible, but Google chooses whether to show a rich result for each search.
Confirmed Google's general structured data guidelines
Does structured data improve rankings?
Google does not describe it as a ranking factor. It uses markup to understand a page and to show rich results, and a structured data manual action removes rich results without changing rankings.
Directional Based on Google's documentation; absence of a ranking claim is not proof of no effect
Should you remove FAQ, How-to or sitelinks search box markup?
You do not have to: Google says leftover sitelinks search box markup causes no problems, and FAQ and How-to markup is still valid schema.org. Remove it when you next edit the page if it no longer serves anything.
Confirmed Google's October 2024 sitelinks search box post and its documentation updates
Which format should you use: JSON-LD, Microdata or RDFa?
JSON-LD, if your site allows it. Google recommends it, though it reads all three equally well when they are correct.
If your theme writes Microdata, the validator shows the same markup as one JSON-LD block that you can use instead.
Confirmed Google's introduction to structured data
Why does it say a property is not defined when Google's example uses it?
schema.org and Google sometimes differ. For a Google feature, follow Google's documentation; the warning tells you that other parsers may ignore the property.
Directional Google adds its own guidance on top of schema.org
Can it check markup added by JavaScript or a tag manager?
Yes, with the "Validate this page" bookmark, which sends the page as your browser rendered it and as the server sent it. Pasted View Source shows the server HTML only.
Confirmed This is how browsers expose a page's source and its rendered document
Why are relative links in my Microdata reported?
The validator turns relative links into full ones using the page address you enter, or the page's canonical link. Without either, they stay relative and are reported.
Directional Search engines resolve them against the page address too
What is a pending term?
A type or property in schema.org's pending area: proposed and usable, but still open to change. Google documents a few, such as MathSolver and Quiz.
Confirmed Marked as pending in the schema.org 30.1 vocabulary
How current are the Google rules?
They were copied from Google's documentation on 23 October 2026, and this page shows that date. Google changes its features, so the Rich Results Test stays the final check.
Confirmed Google's updates log lists more than 25 changes to its structured data documentation between January 2025 and October 2026
Is what you paste sent anywhere?
No. The validator runs in your browser and does not send your markup to a server. The bookmarks pass pages to this tab inside your browser. The only thing a tool can send is the business email you choose to give when you unlock more runs.
Directional Stated by the builder; you can confirm it in your browser's network panel
How many times can you use the free tools?
You get 3 free runs across all the free tools. After that, joining the Search Signals newsletter with a business email unlocks 10 more.
Loading an example, copying and downloading do not use a run. The count is kept in your browser, so clearing site data resets it.
Directional A fair-use limit that may change; the count is a convenience, not a security control
Why does the unlock need a business email?
To keep the newsletter list made of real business contacts: personal addresses such as Gmail or Yahoo, and temporary addresses, are not accepted.
If your work address is rejected by mistake, email asfand@asfandjunejo.com and the tools can be unlocked by hand.
Directional The check uses lists of free and disposable providers plus a mail-server lookup, so it is strong but not perfect
Part 7
Limits and sources
What this validator cannot do and where the facts come from.
19. What can this validator not do?
It cannot see Google's decisions, fetch a page by address, or read what is visible on the page.
| Google's view | The rules are a dated copy of Google's documentation; only Google's own tools show what Google sees |
|---|---|
| Fetching | It reads what you paste or what a bookmark sends; it cannot fetch an address itself |
| Visible content | It cannot tell whether the markup matches what people see, which Google requires |
| Images | It does not open images to check size or format |
| RDFa | RDFa Lite and schema: prefixes only, not every RDFa 1.1 feature |
| Merchant extras | Shipping, returns, member prices and sizes are listed as recommended, not checked in depth |
Directional Prototype tool; always run Google's Rich Results Test before relying on a feature
20. Where do the facts on this page come from?
From Google Search Central, schema.org and the format specifications, read on 23 October 2026.
- Google: structured data search gallery
- Google: general structured data guidelines
- Google: introduction to structured data
- Google: documentation updates
- Google: simplifying the search results page (June 2025)
- Google: sitelinks search box (October 2024)
- Google: changes to How-to and FAQ rich results (2023)
- Google: product snippets and merchant listings
- Google: review snippets
- Google: Organization and site names
- Google: profile pages, Q&A and discussion forums
- Google: carousels, course lists and movies
- Google: datasets and image metadata
- Google: education Q&A, math solvers and employer ratings
- Google: speakable, paywalled content and vacation rentals
- Google: fact check (ClaimReview) and book actions
- Google: AI features and your website
- schema.org: vocabulary downloads (version 30.1, used for every vocabulary check)
- schema.org: announcing the Schema Markup Validator (2021)
- WHATWG: HTML Microdata and W3C: RDFa Lite
- Vercel: the rise of the AI crawler (December 2024)
Need markup written from scratch? Use the schema markup generator → Or see what the ten services cover → Back to all free tools →