Schema Checker

A schema checker validates structured data written in JSON-LD, microdata or RDFa. It parses the markup, finds each item and its type and compares the fields with the required and recommended properties for that type. You get a tree of items, a list of errors and a set of warnings.

Structured data is a standard way to describe a page. A product page can name its price and availability, an article can name its author and date, and a local business can name its address and opening hours. Google reads this markup to understand the page and, for some types, to decide whether a search feature applies.

The common formats are:

• JSON-LD: a script block in the head or body, and the format Google recommends for new builds.
• Microdata: attributes added to the visible HTML, often found in older templates.
• RDFa: attributes that describe linked data, used by sites that publish linked data.

A schema checker fits the moments when markup is added, changed or suspected:

• A new page template. Product, article, event and recipe templates often ship with fields that are empty on some pages.
• A CMS or plugin update. A changed field name can leave required properties blank across a whole section.
• A site migration. URLs, prices and organisation details move, and the markup can keep the old values.
• A Search Console warning. The report names a page and an issue, and the checker shows where the problem sits.
• A content refresh. When a visible price, rating or date changes, the markup should change with it.
• A periodic audit. Sampling a few page types catches drift before it spreads.

Work through a check in three layers, starting at the top. A fault in one layer can hide problems in the next.

1. Layer one is syntax. A missing comma or an unescaped quote can make a JSON-LD block unreadable. When the block cannot be parsed, everything inside it is lost, so fix this first.
2. Layer two is fields. Each type has required and recommended properties. A missing field turns a vague invalid item warning into a specific property to add.
3. Layer three is truth. Google asks for structured data that represents the page honestly. A rating no visitor can see, a price that differs from the visible price or an author the page never names can make the markup misleading. Compare the extracted values with the page itself.

What valid markup can and cannot do. Structured data is not a ranking factor. Valid markup helps Google understand a page and keeps it eligible for a search feature, but it does not guarantee that the feature will appear. Misleading markup can bring a manual action that removes that eligibility. That action affects rich results, not ranking.

One change is worth knowing. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in May 2026, and it removed FAQ support from the Rich Results Test in June. FAQPage is still valid markup, but it no longer earns a dropdown in search. A schema checker can confirm that it is accurate, and that is all it needs to do now.

The aim of a schema checker is markup that parses cleanly, describes the page accurately and survives a template change.

That gives a team:

• A clear list of errors to fix, ordered by the block they belong to.
• Confidence that required fields are present before a page goes live.
• Fewer broken items after a release, because the check becomes part of the release.
• A cleaner rich result report in Search Console over time.

It cannot promise a star rating, a price range or any other enhanced result. Those depend on the page, the feature guidelines and Google's decision.

Why use a dedicated schema checker rather than reading the code by eye?

• It parses the way a machine does. Formatting that looks fine to a person can still fail a parser.
• It handles all three formats. A site can carry JSON-LD on new templates and microdata on older ones.
• It shows nesting. Parent and child items are easier to review as a tree than as a wall of markup.
• It names the missing field. A vague invalid item becomes a specific property to add.
• It gives a shareable result. A screenshot or export makes the fix clear to a developer or client.

The tool is a validator, not an oracle. Once the markup is clean, confirm how Google reads the live page with the Rich Results Test and the URL Inspection tool.

1. Paste the page URL into the Traffsite box, or paste the markup directly if the page is not public yet.
2. Let the tool detect the format, or pick JSON-LD, microdata or RDFa yourself.
3. Read the parse result first. If a block does not parse, fix the syntax before anything else.
4. Confirm that the main type matches the main purpose of the page.
5. Check the required fields, then the recommended ones.
6. Compare names, prices, dates, ratings and images with the visible page.
7. Fix the source, run the schema checker again and confirm the live URL in Google's tools.

The tool suits anyone who adds or maintains structured data.

• SEO specialists who own the markup strategy and the rich result reports.
• Developers who implement templates and need a fast syntax check.
• Content editors who update prices, dates and ratings and want the markup to follow.
• Ecommerce managers who rely on product and review markup.
• Publishers who mark up articles, videos and breadcrumbs.
• Agencies that audit a site and need evidence of each issue.

You do not need to memorize the vocabulary. The checker names the type, property and value, and the feature documentation explains what each field expects.