The Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org) is a tool for checking structured data that uses the schema.org vocabulary. It is not related to validating JSON Schema files, which people also call schema validators.
What does it check?
Google describes the tool as validating all schema.org-based structured data embedded in web pages, without Google-feature-specific warnings. It continues the general part of Google’s earlier Structured Data Testing Tool. Google moved that functionality to the validator and dropped the Google-specific checks in the process.
Schema Markup Validator or Rich Results Test?
Google recommends the Rich Results Test to see which Google rich results a page can produce. It checks the properties Google requires for its features. The validator checks the markup against schema.org only. A markup block can pass in the validator and still miss required fields for a Google feature. In the other direction, the validator can report on types that Google does not use at all.
Example
This markup contains a typo in the type name. Schema.org has no type Prodcut, which the validator points out:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Prodcut",
"name": "Alpina hiking boot"
}
</script>
Common mistakes
- Reading a clean result as Google eligibility. The validator does not check Google’s rich result types. For those, Google points to the Rich Results Test.
- Missing typos in type or property names. Names that do not exist in the schema.org vocabulary are what the tool flags.
- Expecting other
@contextURLs to work. For JSON-LD, the tool does not fetch or interpret other@contextURLs, according to schema.org.
FAQ
What is a schema markup validator? A tool that checks structured data on a page or in pasted code against the schema.org vocabulary.
Can I validate JSON Schema with it? No. JSON Schema is a different standard for describing JSON data and is unrelated to schema.org.
Sources
- Schema Markup Validatorvalidator.schema.org
- Structured data testing - Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Update on the Structured Data Testing Tool - Google Search Central Blog (December 2020)developers.google.com
- What is JSON Schema? – json-schema.orgjson-schema.org
- General structured data guidelines – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
Last updated: