Checking your structured data for errors

What structured data is for

Structured data is a block of code, usually JSON-LD in the page head, that labels facts on the page in a format machines read easily: this is a local business, here is its address and opening hours; this is a product, here is its price and stock. Search engines can use it for rich results such as review stars, product details or breadcrumbs, and to understand your business as an entity.

Two testing tools, two jobs

• Google's Rich Results Test: shows which Google rich result types the page is eligible for, with errors and warnings for each. Use it for anything you want Google to display.
• Schema Markup Validator (from schema.org): checks any schema.org markup against the vocabulary, including types Google does not use for rich results.
• Search Console enhancement reports: after Google crawls your site, these show errors across all pages of a type, such as Products or Breadcrumbs.

Errors versus warnings

An error means a required property is missing or broken, for example a Product with no name, or a price written as text Google cannot read. Items with errors are not eligible for that rich result.

A warning means a recommended property is missing, such as a product's brand. The item can still be eligible. Add the detail if you genuinely have it; do not invent it to clear the warning.

Mistakes that cause trouble

• Marking up content that is not on the page, such as reviews or prices the visitor cannot see.
• Self-written review stars for your own business on your own site. Google does not show these for local businesses.
• Old details left in markup after a change: last year's opening hours, a closed branch, a discontinued product.
• Two plugins each adding their own LocalBusiness or Organization block with different details.
• Broken JSON from a missing comma or quote, which makes the whole block unreadable.

Valid but no rich result?

Passing the test makes a page eligible, nothing more. Google decides whether to show a rich result based on the search, the device and its view of the site's quality. Some types have also been narrowed: FAQ rich results are now shown only for a small set of well-known government and health websites, and How-to rich results were removed. FAQ markup is still valid schema.org code, it simply rarely produces a visual result in Google today.

A short checking routine

• Test one page of each template: home, a service or product page, a blog post, a location page.
• Fix errors in the template so every page of that type is fixed at once.
• Compare the markup against what the page actually shows.
• Re-test after theme or plugin updates.
• Watch the Search Console enhancement reports over the following weeks.

What AI Marketing Master checks

The website audit notes whether structured data is present on each page it crawls, so you can spot templates where it is missing. It does not check every rule of every schema type; use the Rich Results Test and Schema Markup Validator for the detailed check. Your Business Profile in the app holds your approved business details, which is a useful single source when you update the facts in your markup.