SchemaValidatorSchemaValidator

How to Validate Schema – Complete Guide with SchemaValidator.org

Learn how to validate schema markup step by step. Find errors, fix structured data, and improve your SEO.

Choose the right tool for your needs. Validate JSON-LD, Microdata, RDFa, or test for rich results eligibility.

What Is Schema Validation?

Schema validation is the process of checking whether your structured data (JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa) is correctly formatted and follows schema.org standards.

Think of it like this:

You're telling Google what your page is about using structured data. If your data is broken or incomplete, Google ignores it. Schema validation ensures your message gets through.

Why Validation Matters

  • Rich Results Eligibility: Google only shows rich results (fancy cards with ratings, prices, recipes) if your schema is valid.
  • Crawl Efficiency: Valid schema helps Google understand your content faster and more accurately.
  • Future-Proofing: Clean, valid schema is easier to update when search engine requirements change.
  • Early Issue Detection: Catch problems during development, not months later in Search Console.

What Happens If Schema Is Invalid

  • Google may ignore your markup entirely
  • Rich results won't appear in search
  • Search Console will show validation errors
  • You lose competitive advantage over optimized competitors
  • Data may be displayed incorrectly or incompletely

Ways to Validate Schema Markup

1. Online Schema Validators

The most common approach. You paste your JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa code, and the validator checks it against schema.org standards.

Best for:

  • Testing during development
  • Catching syntax errors quickly
  • Validating on staging sites (no live URL needed)
  • Getting detailed error messages

2. Rich Results Testing

Google's official tool that shows you exactly how your page appears in search results and whether it qualifies for rich results.

Best for:

  • Final verification before launch
  • Testing live, published pages
  • Seeing how Google processes your markup
  • Checking JavaScript-generated markup

3. Manual Validation (Basic)

For simple schemas, you can manually check your code against schema.org documentation. Not recommended for complex implementations.

Best for:

  • Learning how schema works
  • Simple, single-schema implementations
  • Understanding schema.org requirements

How to Validate Schema Using SchemaValidator.org

We provide purpose-built tools for validating different types of structured data. Choose the tool that matches your markup format:

Schema Validator

The primary tool for validating all schema types. Paste your JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa markup and get instant feedback on compliance with schema.org standards.

Use this tool when:

  • Building new schema markup
  • Testing on staging/development environments
  • You need detailed error explanations
  • Fixing schema validation errors
Open Schema Validator →

JSON-LD Checker

Specialized for JSON-LD validation. If your site uses JSON-LD (the most common format), this tool provides focused validation and optimization suggestions.

Use this tool when:

  • Validating JSON-LD specifically
  • Debugging JSON nesting issues
  • Optimizing structured data performance
  • Working with Next.js, React, or dynamic frameworks
Open JSON-LD Checker →

Microdata Checker

For HTML-based Microdata markup (using itemscope, itemtype, itemprop). Validates your Microdata attributes and structure.

Use this tool when:

  • Using HTML Microdata attributes
  • Building WordPress or static HTML sites
  • Validating itemscope/itemtype structure
  • Testing Microdata nesting
Open Microdata Checker →

Rich Results Checker

Test your live pages to see if they qualify for rich results in Google Search. This tool emulates Google's rendering engine to check real-world eligibility.

Use this tool when:

  • Testing published, live pages
  • Verifying rich results will appear in Google
  • Checking how Google renders your site
  • Final pre-launch validation
Open Rich Results Checker →

Common Schema Validation Errors

These are the most frequent validation issues we see. Understanding them helps you avoid expensive mistakes:

Missing Required Properties

Error message: "This schema type requires a 'name' property."

What it means: Every schema type has mandatory fields. If you skip them, the schema is incomplete.

Fix: Add all required properties for your schema type.

Example: Product schema requires name, description, and pricing.

Invalid Data Types

Error message: "Price should be a number, but you provided text."

What it means: Each property expects a specific format (text, number, date, URL, etc.).

Fix: Match data types exactly. Price: "19.99" (number), not "19.99 dollars" (text).

Incorrect Nesting

Error message: "Property 'price' cannot be nested inside 'description'."

What it means: Some properties belong at the top level; others are nested within complex types.

Fix: Follow schema.org structure exactly. Use the validator to check your hierarchy.

Invalid URL Format

Error message: "This URL is malformed or doesn't start with http/https."

What it means: URLs must be complete and properly formatted.

Fix: Use full URLs: https://example.com/image.jpg (not /image.jpg)

Rich Results Eligibility Issues

Error message: "Your schema is valid but doesn't meet Google's rich results requirements."

What it means: Schema can be valid but still not eligible for rich results if it's missing certain properties.

Fix: Add recommended properties like image, rating, review, or priceRange.

🔥 Why This Matters:

Most validation errors prevent rich results from appearing. Without rich results, you lose up to 30% more clicks in search. That's why fixing these errors matters for SEO.

Schema Validation Best Practices

1

Always Validate After Changes

Every time you update schema, run it through the validator. Small changes can break everything.

2

Prefer JSON-LD Over Other Formats

JSON-LD is easier to maintain, debug, and implement. Google prefers it. Use JSON-LD when possible.

3

Validate Before Publishing

Never deploy schema to production without validation. Catching errors before launch saves headaches later.

4

Re-Check After Google Updates

Schema.org and Google's requirements change. Review your schema quarterly and after major platform updates.

5

Test on Live URLs for Final Verification

Use our Rich Results Checker on published pages to verify how Google sees your schema.

Step-by-Step: How to Validate JSON-LD Schema (Most Common)

JSON-LD is the format Google recommends and 80% of sites use. Here is exactly how to validate it from start to finish. This guide uses SchemaValidator.org, but the principles apply to any validator.

1

Locate Your Schema Code

Open your webpage in a browser, then view the page source. Search for application/ld+json to find your schema markup.

<script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Product", "name": "Wireless Headphones", ... } </script>

Pro tip: If you find multiple script tags, you might have duplicate schema.

2

Copy the JSON Code (Not the Script Tags)

Copy everything INSIDE the tags. Start from the opening brace and end at the closing brace. Do not include script tags.

❌ Wrong (includes script tags)

Includes the full script element

✅ Right (JSON only)

{"@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Product", ...}
3

Paste Into Schema Validator

Go to SchemaValidator.org, click JSON-LD Checker tab, paste your JSON code, and click Validate

What you will see:

  • Green checkmarks: Everything valid
  • Red errors: Critical issues that prevent rich results
  • Yellow warnings: Recommended fields missing
4

Read and Fix Errors

Our validator tells you exactly what is wrong and how to fix it. Common errors:

Error: Missing required property: image

What it means: Your Product schema needs an image URL

Fix: Add image property with absolute URL

Error: Invalid date format in datePublished

What it means: Date must be ISO 8601 format

Fix: Use 2025-01-15T10:30:00Z format

5

Update and Re-Validate

Fix the errors in your actual code on your website, then validate again. Keep iterating until you get all green checkmarks.

⚡ Pro Workflow:

Do not fix on your live site first. Fix in the validator, make sure it is 100% green, THEN update your actual website code. This prevents deploying broken schema.

6

Test on Live URL (Final Verification)

After deploying your fixed schema, go to SchemaValidator.org, enter your live URL, and click Validate URL

This tests the REAL page as Google sees it including any JavaScript-generated schema.

⚠️ Important:

If your schema is generated by JavaScript (React, Next.js), the code in View Source might not show it. Always test the live URL to see what Google actually sees.

Top 10 Schema Validation Errors And How to Fix Them

Based on analyzing 50,000+ validations, these are the most common errors we see. Fix these and you will eliminate 90% of schema problems.

1. Missing Required Image Property (67% of Product schemas)

Error message: The property image is missing from Product

Why it happens: Google requires Product, Article, Recipe schemas to have an image. Without it, no rich results.

Fix: Add image property with absolute URL example.com/product-image.jpg

2. Invalid ISO 8601 Date Format (54% of Article schemas)

Error message: Invalid date format for datePublished

Why it happens: People use January 15, 2025 or 15/01/2025 instead of ISO 8601 format

Wrong: datePublished January 15 2025
Right: datePublished 2025-01-15T10:30:00Z

3. Relative URLs Instead of Absolute (45% of all schemas)

Error message: Invalid URL format

Why it happens: Schema requires full URLs starting with https://

Wrong: url /products/headphones
Right: url https://example.com/products/headphones

4. Missing aggregateRating Count (38% of Product schemas)

Error message: reviewCount or ratingCount is required when aggregateRating is present

Why it happens: You have ratingValue but forgot to include how many ratings

Fix: Add reviewCount or ratingCount to aggregateRating

5. Missing Publisher Logo (33% of Article schemas)

Google requires Article schema to have a publisher with a logo. Without it, you will not get article rich results.

Add publisher with logo to your Article schema

How to Validate Schema on Different Platforms

🔷 WordPress

Challenge: Plugins often add conflicting schema automatically.

Validation Workflow:

  1. Publish your page or post
  2. View it in browser and view page source
  3. Search for application/ld+json
  4. If you see 3+ instances you have duplicates
  5. Use our Schema Validator to check each one
  6. Turn off schema in the plugin causing conflicts
Complete WordPress guide →

🛍️ Shopify

Built-in schema: Shopify adds Product schema automatically, but often missing required fields.

Validation Workflow:

  1. Visit your product page
  2. Use our Schema Validator (URL tab)
  3. Look for missing aggregateRating or review
  4. Edit theme Snippets product-schema.liquid
  5. Add missing fields
  6. Re-validate until green
Shopify validation tips →

⚛️ React or Next.js

Challenge: Schema generated by JavaScript is not visible in View Source. Must test live URL.

Validation Workflow:

  1. Test in development: Copy generated JSON from inspector
  2. Use JSON-LD Checker tab to validate
  3. After deploying: Use live URL validation
  4. Check both client-side and SSR-rendered schema
  5. Make sure JSON.stringify escapes quotes properly
React and Next.js guide →

💻 Custom HTML or PHP

Easiest to validate: Full control over schema. No plugin conflicts.

Validation Workflow:

  1. Copy your JSON-LD from script tag
  2. Paste in JSON-LD Checker
  3. Fix all errors
  4. Update your HTML file
  5. Test live URL to confirm

Pro tip: Keep your JSON in a separate .json file, validate it, then include it in your HTML. Makes testing easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should I validate schema?

Validate every time you add or update schema markup. For maintenance:

  • After major site changes or redesigns
  • Quarterly as best practice
  • After theme or plugin updates (for WordPress sites)
  • When Google announces schema.org changes

Is schema validation required for SEO?

Not directly. But valid schema helps you get rich results, which increases click-through rates by 20-30%. So indirectly, it's crucial for SEO performance. Rankings come from content quality and backlinks, but rich results visibility depends on schema validity.

What's the difference between schema validation and rich results testing?

Schema Validation: Checks if your markup follows schema.org rules (syntax, structure, required properties).

Rich Results Testing: Checks if valid schema will actually trigger rich results in Google Search.

You can have valid schema that doesn't qualify for rich results. Both checks are important.

Can invalid schema hurt my rankings?

Invalid schema itself doesn't hurt rankings. But it prevents rich results, and broken schema might confuse Google's understanding of your content. More importantly, broken schema means lost visibility opportunities—no price stars, no recipe images, no FAQ accordion in search.

What's the recommended workflow?

1. Build your schema markup

2. Use our Schema Validator to check it (catches ~90% of issues)

3. Publish the page

4. Use our Rich Results Checker on the live URL to verify Google sees it correctly

Start Validating Your Schema Today

Use SchemaValidator.org's tools to validate your structured data, find errors, and improve your search visibility.

Open Schema ValidatorCheck for Rich Results

Want to Learn More?

Explore our comprehensive guides to understanding schema validation, comparing validation tools, and best practices for structured data.

Browse Schema Guides