Use valid JSON-LD structured data

Invalid JSON-LD is silently ignored by Google — there are no error messages in search results, only the absence of rich results. Invalid structured data means no eligibility for rich results (stars, FAQs, breadcrumbs, etc.) that increase click-through rates.

Quick Reference

• JSON-LD must be valid JSON, reference @context: 'https://schema.org', and include all required properties for the chosen @type
• Invalid JSON (unclosed brackets, missing commas) causes the entire block to be silently ignored by Google
• Validate with Google's Rich Results Test before deploying structured data changes

Check

Find all <script type='application/ld+json'> elements on the page. For each: (1) Attempt to parse the content as JSON — flag syntax errors. (2) Verify @context is set to 'https://schema.org'. (3) Verify @type is a valid schema.org type. (4) For the detected type, check required properties are present (e.g., Article requires headline, author, datePublished; Product requires name; FAQPage requires mainEntity). (5) Run through Google's Rich Results Test API if available.

Fix

1. Parse the JSON-LD with JSON.parse() — fix any syntax errors (trailing commas, single quotes, missing brackets).
2. Ensure @context is exactly "https://schema.org" (not "http://schema.org" or omitted).
3. Verify the @type value against schema.org types.
4. Add required properties for the type:
   • Article: headline, author (with @type Person and name), datePublished
   • Product: name (and ideally offers, description)
   • FAQPage: mainEntity array with Question and acceptedAnswer
   • BreadcrumbList: itemListElement array with ListItem, position, name, item
5. Validate at https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
6. Validate JSON syntax at https://jsonlint.com

Explain

Google uses JSON-LD structured data to generate rich results — enhanced search result formats that include stars, images, expandable Q&As, and other features. Invalid JSON-LD is ignored entirely: no rich results are generated, and no error is reported to you. Only by testing with the Rich Results Test can you discover validation failures. Correct, complete JSON-LD is a prerequisite for rich result eligibility.

Code Review

Extract all <script type='application/ld+json'> element contents. Run JSON.parse() on each — catch and report parse errors. Validate that @context equals 'https://schema.org'. Check @type against a whitelist of common valid types. For each type, validate required properties are present and non-empty. Report the first validation error found for each block.

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For full implementation details, code examples, and framework-specific guidance, see references/rule.md.

Rule page: https://frontendchecklist.io/rules/seo/json-ld-valid