100% free tool
Schema Markup Validator
Check JSON-LD against Google's rich result rules - what the Structured Data Testing Tool did.
- No sign-up required
- Instant results
- Nothing is uploaded
Paste the object, an array, or the whole <script type="application/ld+json"> tag.
A schema markup validator checks the structured data on a page the way a search engine reads it: not just whether the JSON parses, but whether each entity carries the properties Google requires before it will show a rich result. Paste the markup - a bare object, an array, or the whole <script type="application/ld+json">tag - or give it a URL and it pulls the structured data out of the page for you. Everything is checked against Google’s documented requirements, and nothing you paste is stored.
Google retired the Structured Data Testing Tool. This is the gap it left
For years the answer to “how do I check my schema markup” was Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, which validated any schema.org type and accepted pasted code. Google retired it and pointed people at two replacements that each do less:
- The Rich Results Test only reports types that can earn a Google rich result. Markup that is correct but not rich-result-eligible -
Organization,WebSite,Person- comes back as “no items detected”, which reads like an error and is not one. - The Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org checks the markup against schema.org itself, deliberately without Google’s rules. It will happily pass an
Articlewith noheadline- valid schema.org, and ineligible for the rich result you wanted it for.
This tool does both halves at once: it validates the structure, and it applies Google’s per-type requirements on top. That is the check most people were actually running on the old tool.
What it catches
- Errors - malformed JSON, a missing
@contextor@type, and required properties that are absent: anArticlewithout a headline, aLocalBusinesswithout an address, aProductwith no offer, aRecipewith no ingredients. - Format problems - dates that are not machine-readable ISO 8601, relative URLs where an absolute one is required, breadcrumb positions numbered out of order or starting from zero.
- Recommendations - the properties Google lists as recommended rather than required. They will not stop a rich result, but they usually decide how much of one you get.
- Notes - types that are valid to publish but earn no special treatment in search, so you know when a clean result still means nothing will change.
Identical problems are grouped rather than listed once per entity. A page that nests the same type forty times produces one line with a count, not forty lines to scroll past.
Validation is not a promise of a rich result
Valid markup makes a page eligible. Google still decides per page and per query, and eligibility is lost for reasons no validator can see - marking up content a visitor cannot find on the page, thin or duplicated content, or a manual action. Anyone selling you a validator as a ranking tool is overselling it. What it genuinely does is stop you losing a rich result to a typo.
Where to put the markup
JSON-LD in a <script> tag is what Google recommends, and it is the only format this tool reads. Microdata and RDFa still work, but they interleave markup with your HTML, which makes both harder to change. If you are starting now, use JSON-LD; it can sit in the head, the body, or be injected by JavaScript, as long as it is in the rendered page.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about the schema markup validator.
What happened to Google's Structured Data Testing Tool?+
Google retired it and split its job in two. The Rich Results Test only reports types eligible for a Google rich result, and validator.schema.org checks schema.org's own rules without applying Google's. Neither does what the old tool did on its own, which is why so many people still search for it by name.
How is this different from Google's Rich Results Test?+
The Rich Results Test tells you whether a published page is eligible for a rich result. This checks the same requirements, adds the properties Google only recommends, reports types the Rich Results Test stays silent about, and works on markup you have not published yet - which is when fixing it is cheapest.
Does valid schema markup improve rankings?+
Not directly. Structured data is not a ranking factor. What it can do is change how your result looks - stars, prices, FAQs, breadcrumbs - and a result that takes more space and answers more of the question tends to earn more clicks at the same position.
Why does Google's tool say 'no items detected' when my markup is fine?+
Because the Rich Results Test only reports types that can produce a rich result. Organization, WebSite, Person and many others are perfectly valid and simply have no rich result to show, so the tool says nothing. This validator reports them, so you can tell a missing type from an unsupported one.
Which schema types does it check?+
The types with documented Google requirements - Article and its variants, BreadcrumbList, FAQPage, HowTo, JobPosting, LocalBusiness, Organization, Person, Product, Recipe, Review, Event, VideoObject, WebSite and more. Anything outside that list is still parsed and reported, with a note that it earns no rich result.
Can I validate markup before it goes live?+
Yes - that is what the paste mode is for. Google's tools need a published URL or a rendered page; this one accepts the raw JSON-LD, so you can check it in a branch rather than after deploying it.
Can I check a competitor's structured data?+
Yes. Put their URL into the URL mode and it reads whatever JSON-LD their page publishes. Structured data is public by design - it exists to be read by machines.
Should I add a rating to my markup to get stars?+
Only if the rating is real and visible on the page. Inventing aggregate ratings is the fastest route to a structured data manual action, and the stars disappear along with any trust you had. The tool flags software markup that expects a rating for exactly this reason.
Is my markup uploaded anywhere?+
Pasted markup is validated entirely in your browser and never leaves your device. URL mode is the one exception: fetching someone else's page has to happen server-side, because a browser is not allowed to read another site's HTML.