# Google Rich Results Guidelines ## Eligible Schema Types Google supports Rich Results for these schema types: ### Currently Supported - Article - Book - Breadcrumb - Carousel - Course - Dataset - Employer Aggregate Rating - Estimated Salary - Event - Fact Check - FAQ - Guidance (HowTo) - Image License - Job Posting - Learning Video - Local Business - Logo - Math Solvers - Movie - Education Q&A - Practice Problems - Product - Q&A Page - Recipe - Review Snippet - Sitelinks Searchbox - Software App - Speakable - Subscription and Paywalled Content - Video ## Guidelines by Type ### Article **Requirements**: - Headline (max 110 characters) - Image (min 1200px width) - Date published - Author name **Recommended**: - Date modified - Author URL - Description **Common Errors**: - ❌ Image smaller than 1200px - ❌ Missing author - ❌ Date in wrong format ### Product **Requirements**: - Name - Offers (price + currency) OR Review **Recommended**: - Brand - SKU/MPN/GTIN - Rating - Availability - Price valid until **Common Errors**: - ❌ Price includes currency symbol - ❌ Multiple products without ItemList - ❌ No offer or review ### FAQ **Requirements**: - Question text - Answer text **Guidelines**: - ✅ Questions must be visible on page - ✅ Answers must be complete - ✅ No promotional content in answers - ❌ No duplicate questions - ❌ All questions must be answered **Limitations**: - Max 2 FAQs per page in search results - Must be authoritative, factual content ### HowTo **Requirements**: - Total time OR estimated cost - Step list with instructions **Recommended**: - Images for each step - Tools and supplies - Video **Guidelines**: - Steps must be visible on page - Each step needs name and text - Don't use for recipes (use Recipe schema) ## Technical Requirements ### JSON-LD Format ```html ``` Requirements: - Must be in `` or `` - Must be valid JSON - Must use https://schema.org (not http) - Each schema type on its own (no mixing Article and Product in one object) ### Testing Your Markup 1. **Rich Results Test**: https://search.google.com/test/rich-results - Shows if eligible for rich results - Identifies errors and warnings 2. **Schema Markup Validator**: https://validator.schema.org - Validates Schema.org syntax - Checks all fields 3. **URL Inspection Tool** (Google Search Console) - See live structured data - Check for indexing issues ### Common Validation Errors | Error | Cause | Fix | |-------|-------|-----| | "Missing field" | Required field not present | Add the field | | "Invalid value" | Wrong data type | Check format requirements | | "Date format" | Date not ISO 8601 | Use YYYY-MM-DD format | | "URL not accessible" | Schema URL returns error | Fix the URL | | "Multiple items" | Multiple same-type schemas | Use @graph or separate pages | ## Content Guidelines ### Factual Accuracy - Schema must match visible page content - Don't markup content users can't see - Don't use misleading titles/descriptions ### Prohibited Content Google will not show rich results for: - Adult content - Violent content - Dangerous/illegal products - Misleading or deceptive practices - Copyrighted material without rights ### Quality Standards - Content must be original - Must provide substantial value - Not primarily promotional - Not automatically generated (spam) ## Monitoring ### Google Search Console Check **Enhancements** section for: - Valid items count - Errors and warnings - Performance data ### Common Issues **Issue**: "Crawled - currently not indexed" - **Cause**: Page quality issues - **Fix**: Improve content, wait for re-crawl **Issue**: Valid items but no rich results - **Cause**: Not eligible or not selected by algorithm - **Fix**: No guaranteed fix; ensure compliance **Issue**: Structured data errors spike - **Cause**: Template change broke markup - **Fix**: Validate templates, fix errors ## Best Practices 1. **Start with one type**: Don't try to implement everything at once 2. **Validate before deploying**: Use Google's test tools 3. **Monitor GSC**: Check for errors regularly 4. **Keep it current**: Update for schema changes 5. **Don't over-markup**: Only mark what's important 6. **Match visible content**: Schema = what's on the page ## Updates and Changes Google frequently updates rich result requirements: - Subscribe to Google Search Central blog - Follow @googlesearchc on Twitter - Check GSC for notifications Recent notable changes: - 2023: HowTo rich results limited on desktop - 2023: Product rich results expanded - 2024: Article guidelines updated