Validate Schema Markup for Google

How do I validate my schema markup?

To validate your schema markup, simply enter your website URL or paste your JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa code into our validator. Our tool will analyze your structured data against Schema.org standards and provide detailed error reports with specific fixes.

You can validate live URLs to see what search engines see, or test code snippets before deploying to production. The validator checks syntax, required properties, and rich results eligibility.

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

Schema validation checks if your markup follows Schema.org standards and is syntactically correct. Rich results testing goes further by checking if your markup qualifies for enhanced search appearances like star ratings, product cards, or FAQ accordions.

Our validator does both - it checks for basic validation errors AND tells you which rich result types your content is eligible for, helping you maximize your search visibility.

Why is my schema markup failing validation?

Common validation failures include: missing required properties (like "name" or "url"), incorrect data types (using text where numbers are required), malformed JSON syntax, or properties that don't match your visible content.

Our validator highlights each error with clear explanations and shows you exactly what needs to be fixed. Most issues can be resolved by adding missing properties or correcting data formatting.

Top 5 validation failures and quick fixes:

• Missing required fields: Add all Schema.org required properties for your type. Product needs name + offers, Article needs headline + author + datePublished.
• Wrong data types: price must be string/number (not "$99"), dates must be ISO 8601 format (2026-02-08, not Feb 8 2026), URLs must start with http/https.
• JSON syntax errors: Missing commas between properties, extra commas after last property, mismatched brackets/quotes. Use a JSON linter first if you see syntax errors.
• Invalid property names: Schema.org is case-sensitive. Use "name" not "Name", "datePublished" not "date_published". Check official Schema.org docs for exact spelling.
• Content mismatch: Schema says your product costs $50 but page shows $75. Google penalizes markup that doesn't match visible content. Always keep schema synchronized with what users see.

Remember - Google penalizes markup that doesn't reflect what users actually see on your page, so accuracy matters more than perfection. Focus on making your schema match your content first, then optimize for additional properties.

How often should I validate my schema markup?

Validate your schema markup whenever you: create new pages, update existing content, change your site structure, or notice drops in rich results appearances. Regular validation (monthly or quarterly) helps catch issues before they impact your search visibility.

For e-commerce sites with frequently changing inventory or content sites publishing daily, more frequent validation is recommended. Use our validator as part of your deployment pipeline to catch errors early.

Validation schedule by site type: E-commerce (weekly product template checks + validate new products before launch), News/blogs (monthly for templates, validate major articles individually), Corporate/service sites (quarterly audits sufficient unless site redesign), SaaS/tech (validate after every feature release).

From our data: Sites that validate quarterly catch 85% of schema issues before Google does. Sites that only validate when problems occur often lose 2-4 weeks of rich results visibility while diagnosing and fixing issues. Prevention beats reaction.

Can I validate schema markup before publishing to my website?

Absolutely! You can paste your JSON-LD code directly into our validator without needing a live URL. This is perfect for testing schema markup during development, verifying changes before deployment, or troubleshooting issues in a staging environment.

We also support validating HTML snippets with Microdata or RDFa markup, making it easy to test any format of structured data before it goes live.

Developer workflow tip: Create a schema template file in your project (e.g., product-schema-template.json), validate it thoroughly using our tool, then integrate it into your CMS or site builder. This catches errors at development time—before they multiply across hundreds of pages.

Many developers bookmark our validator for rapid iteration: write schema → paste → validate → fix → repeat. This cycle takes 30 seconds vs 5+ minutes if waiting for pages to deploy and Google to crawl. Speed matters when implementing schema for the first time.

What does "required property missing" mean in validation errors?

Each schema type has required properties that MUST be present for the markup to be valid. For example, Product schema requires "name" and "offers", while Article schema requires "headline", "author", and "datePublished". Missing any required property will cause validation errors.

Our validator clearly marks which properties are required vs. recommended, helping you prioritize fixes. Required properties are essential for rich results eligibility.

Common confusion: "Required" means required by Schema.org specification for that type to be valid. "Recommended" means Google suggests including it for better rich results but won't block validation without it. For example, Product schema technically validates without "image", but products without images won't get visual rich results—making "image" functionally required for e-commerce SEO even though Schema.org lists it as recommended.

Priority guide: Fix all required properties first (your schema won't work otherwise). Then add high-value recommended properties like images, ratings, and descriptions. Finally, consider optional properties based on your specific goals and resources. Required → Recommended → Optional = smart implementation order.