Adding structured data without promising rich results
Mark up information genuinely present on the page and supported by the chosen type.
On this page
Direct answer
Mark up information genuinely present on the page and supported by the chosen type. Validate syntax and consistency. Valid JSON-LD may support understanding and eligibility, but cannot guarantee a search appearance, rating display, or ranking.
When to use
You want Article or Breadcrumb markup or need to investigate structured-data reports.
Step by step
Choose an appropriate type
Read the feature requirements and confirm the page qualifies. Do not invent reviews, products, or authors for appearance, and check template defaults.
Match visible content
Generate title, URL, language, dates, and hierarchy from consistent data. Avoid stale separately coded claims and update markup with content changes.
Validate and inspect the outcome
Place JSON-LD in an HTML script element with type="application/ld+json" and use Google Rich Results Test plus the actual HTML. Separate syntax errors, recommended fields, and eligibility. Monitor reports without treating absent rich display as proof of failure.
Worked example
Hypothetical exercise, not a real performance claim.
A guide can mark up article details and breadcrumbs, but cannot invent five-star reviews. Validator success establishes checked conditions, not guaranteed stars in search.
Action checklist
Reusable templates
Structured-data record
Page and type:
Official feature requirements and review date:
Fields matched to visible content:
Actual author, date, URL, language:
Validation errors / warnings and fixes:
Search report and unknowns:
Minimal JSON-LD for a hypothetical page
<script type="application/ld+json">
{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","name":"Example guide","url":"https://example.com/guide","inLanguage":"en"}
</script>
Use actual visible information. Generic WebPage markup does not establish rich-result eligibility.
Validator: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results
Pitfalls
Do not use old screenshots to promise currently supported appearances. Search-feature requirements change and need current documentation.