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Structured data for AI search: keep your schema honest
Updated 2 November 2026
Structured data, usually written as JSON-LD using the schema.org vocabulary, adds machine-readable labels to facts that are already on your page: your business name, address, opening hours, a product price, a question and its answer. It does not create authority, but without it you remove a clear label that makes the entity easier to extract.
Google's rules
Google's introduction to structured data says it recommends JSON-LD where your setup allows it. Its central rule is that the markup should describe the content of the page, and it says not to add structured data about information that is not visible to the user, even if the information is accurate. It also makes no promise that markup earns rich results, and warns that markup which does not comply may be ineligible for them.
The mistakes this checker looks for
- Invalid JSON. A stray comma or unescaped quote can make a whole block unreadable. Test with the Rich Results Test or validator.schema.org.
- Schema that does not match the page. A business name in schema that differs from the name on the page, or a phone number that appears only in markup.
- FAQ markup without visible FAQs. FAQPage schema should mirror questions and answers a visitor can actually read.
- Injected by JavaScript. Markup added only by a script is invisible to crawlers that do not run JavaScript, so put it in the HTML.
A sensible minimum
For a business site: one Organization or the right LocalBusiness subtype on the home page with name, URL, logo, address, phone and profile links; a page-specific type where it fits (Article, Service, Product); and FAQPage only where the questions are on the page. Keep every value identical to what visitors see.
Run the free checker to validate the JSON-LD on your page and compare it with the visible text.