Structured Data Validation Brief Template

Validation Brief (fill-in)

When to use: One brief per page template: eligible type, the visible claim behind each property, the markup, validation results and the deployment owner.

Structured data validation brief

Template: [product page] · Example URL: [URL] · Markup source: [CMS plugin, theme, tag manager, hand-written]

1. Eligible type

• schema.org type: [Product]
• Google feature it can support: [Product snippet, merchant listing, none]
• Still listed in Google's search gallery? [yes / no, checked on date]

2. Visible claim check

3. Validation

4. Deployment

• Owner: [name] · Ship date: [date]
• Where values come from: [same database field as the visible price, so they cannot drift]
• After launch: [check the matching Search Console report on date]

Completion check: type still listed by Google or deliberately descriptive-only, every property matches visible content, both validators clean, rendered HTML contains the markup, owner and date recorded.

Which Types Still Earn Rich Results (October 2026)

When to use: Check a type against Google's current search gallery before promising anyone a search feature.

Check eligibility before you build

Google's search gallery lists the structured data features it supports today.

When we checked in October 2026 it listed features including Article, Breadcrumb, Event, Local business, Organization, Product, Q&A, Recipe, Review snippet, Software app and Video.

The list changes. Re-check the gallery on the day you write the brief and note the date.

Article / BlogPosting

When to use: Mark up news stories, guides, and blog posts so they're eligible for the Article rich result with a headline, image, and byline.

Article & BlogPosting schema

Use the Article type (or its subtype BlogPosting) for editorial content.

It helps Google understand the headline, author, publish date, and lead image, and makes the page eligible for the enhanced Article appearance in Search and Google News.

Property checklist

• @type: [Article or BlogPosting]
• headline: [Article title, 110 characters or fewer]
• image: [URL of a high-resolution in-article image]
• author.name: [Author full name]
• author.url: [Author bio or profile URL]
• datePublished: [ISO 8601 date, e.g. 2026-01-15]
• dateModified: [ISO 8601 last-updated date]
• publisher.name: [Site or brand name]

Match every value to the visible page. Keep the headline identical to the on-page title, and make sure the author is a real person or organization.

Article has no strictly required properties: treat the fields above as recommended and include every one you can fill accurately.

This markup makes the page eligible for the Article rich result; it does not guarantee one.

Product with Offer & review/rating

When to use: Mark up product pages so they qualify for price, availability, and review-star rich results in Search and Shopping.

Product schema with Offer & ratings

The Product type describes a single sellable item. Combined with an Offer (price and availability) and genuine review or aggregateRating data, it can earn price, stock, and star-rating snippets.

Property checklist

• name: [Product name]
• image: [Product image URL]
• description: [Short product description]
• brand.name: [Brand name]
• offers.price: [Numeric price, e.g. 49.00]
• offers.priceCurrency: [ISO currency, e.g. USD]
• offers.availability: [e.g. https://schema.org/InStock]
• aggregateRating.ratingValue & reviewCount: [Only if real reviews exist]

Critical rule: add review or rating markup only when those reviews genuinely appear on the page. Inventing star ratings is a manual-action risk.

The Offer fields make the product eligible for price and availability snippets; review fields are what unlock star ratings.

FAQPage

When to use: Mark up genuine on-page questions and answers, knowing Google no longer shows FAQ rich results.

FAQPage schema

Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in Search on 7 May 2026 and has since removed the FAQ documentation.

FAQPage is still a valid schema.org type, so existing markup is not an error, but it won't produce an expandable FAQ block in Google.

If you keep or add it

• @type: FAQPage, with mainEntity listing Question items
• Question.name: [the full question text, as shown on the page]
• acceptedAnswer.text: [the full answer, as shown on the page]

Treat it as description, not a search feature. Questions and answers must match the visible text, and Q&A written by users belongs in QAPage, which Google still lists.

Don't promise anyone FAQ rich results from this markup.

HowTo

When to use: Mark up step-by-step instructions so the steps, tools, and time required are clearly understood by search engines.

HowTo schema

The HowTo type describes a task a user completes by following a sequence of steps, such as a repair, setup, or configuration walkthrough.

It helps search engines understand the ordered steps, any tools or materials, and how long the task takes.

Property checklist

• name: [The task, e.g. How to reset your router]
• step: an ordered list of HowToStep items
• HowToStep.text: [Instruction for this step]
• HowToStep.name: [Short step title]
• HowToStep.image: [Optional step image URL]
• tool & supply: [Items needed, if any]
• totalTime: [ISO 8601 duration, e.g. PT15M]

List the same steps that appear on the page, in the same order. Google stopped showing HowTo rich results in 2023, so this markup is now descriptive only: it no longer produces a special search appearance.

Never wrap promotional content as instructional steps.

LocalBusiness

When to use: Mark up a physical business location so its name, address, hours, and contact details are clearly defined for local search.

LocalBusiness schema

The LocalBusiness type (or a more specific subtype like Restaurant or Dentist) describes a business with a physical location or defined service area.

It clarifies your name, address, phone, and opening hours, supporting your presence in local and map results.

Property checklist

• @type: [LocalBusiness or a subtype]
• name: [Business name]
• address: a PostalAddress with street, city, region, postal code
• telephone: [Public phone number]
• openingHoursSpecification: [Days and hours]
• geo.latitude & geo.longitude: [Coordinates]
• url: [Canonical page URL]
• priceRange: [e.g. $]

Keep the name, address, and phone identical to what's shown on the page and on your Google Business Profile. Accurate, consistent details help search engines associate the markup with the correct entity.

This data supports local discovery but does not by itself guarantee a knowledge panel.

Organization & Breadcrumb

When to use: Define your brand entity site-wide and give every page a breadcrumb trail that can replace the URL in Search.

Organization & BreadcrumbList schema

The Organization type defines your brand as an entity, helping consolidate logo, name, and official profiles.

BreadcrumbList describes a page's position in your site hierarchy and can render as a breadcrumb trail in the search result instead of the plain URL path.

Organization checklist

• name: [Official organization name]
• url: [Homepage URL]
• logo: [Square logo image URL]
• sameAs: [Official social or profile URLs]

BreadcrumbList checklist

• itemListElement: an ordered list of ListItem entries
• ListItem.position: [1, 2, 3 ...]
• ListItem.name: [Crumb label]
• ListItem.item: [URL for that crumb]

Place Organization markup once, typically on the homepage, and add a BreadcrumbList to each interior page that mirrors its visible breadcrumb trail.

The breadcrumb gives Search a structured trail it can display for the page.

Worked Example (fictional outdoor gear shop)

When to use: A filled-in brief for an invented gear shop whose product markup claimed a rating the page didn't show.

Worked example: Ridgeline Supply

Example only. The company, people, URLs and figures are invented to show what a usable, filled-in version looks like.

Why the rating came out

The markup passed every validator. But the reviews weren't visible, and Google's guidelines say markup must describe content users can see. Valid isn't the same as honest.

Next step

Draft JSON-LD with the Schema Markup Generator, then compare it with the page. Use Get Source Code of Webpage to see whether the markup is in the server HTML or added later by JavaScript.

Check pages as you browse with the seotools.pro SEO Extension, which includes structured data in its checks. Need it rolled out across templates? See our SEO & GEO services.