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Paste JSON-LD (the content of a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag)

How to use it

From page source to plain English

Grab the markup. View the page source, find <script type="application/ld+json">, and copy everything between the tags. (Multiple blocks? Paste them one at a time, or as a JSON array.)
Hit "Explain". Each typed object comes back as a card: what the type does, the facts Google can read from it, and a ✓ or a list of missing fields.
Fill the gaps. A card with missing fields is markup doing half its job — a LocalBusiness without a phone number validates fine and earns nothing.

Why it matters

Validators check syntax. This checks usefulness.

The official validators answer one question: does the JSON parse into recognized types? They don't tell you the markup is doing anything. A LocalBusiness block with a name and nothing else is valid — and it's also pointless. This tool reads your markup the way an SEO reviewing a client site should: type → facts → gaps → verdict.

Invalid JSON-LD fails silently. One stray comma and Google skips the block — no error in Search Console, no warning anywhere. Rich results just never appear, forever, quietly.
Complete beats present. The difference between "has Product schema" and "has Product schema with offers, price and aggregateRating" is the difference between nothing and stars-with-price in results.
Markup must match the page. Schema describing content that isn't visible on the page violates Google's guidelines and can cost you all rich results sitewide.

Reference

The schema types that actually earn rich results

Type	Rich result it powers	Must-have fields
LocalBusiness (+ subtypes)	Map pack & knowledge panel data	name, address, telephone — add hours, priceRange, geo
FAQPage	Expandable Q&As on the results page	mainEntity with Question/Answer pairs matching visible content
Article / BlogPosting	Headline, byline & date treatment	headline, author, datePublished, image
Product	Stars, price & stock in the listing	name, offers (price + currency), aggregateRating if real
BreadcrumbList	Readable path instead of raw URL	itemListElement with positioned items
Organization / WebSite	Brand identity, logo, sitelinks search	name, url, logo

Agency tip: schema is a template job, not a page job. Fix the LocalBusiness/Organization block once in the layout, the Article block once in the post template — and every page inherits it. Auditing page-by-page is how this work balloons to 10× its real size.

FAQ

Schema questions, answered

What is schema markup?

Structured data — usually JSON-LD in a script tag — that describes your page to search engines in their vocabulary: "this is a local business, here's the phone number; this is an article, here's the author and date." It's how pages qualify for rich results: stars, FAQs, breadcrumbs, prices.

Does schema markup improve rankings?

Not as a direct ranking factor — but rich results earn a larger, more clickable listing, and clearer entity understanding helps Google match your pages to the right queries. The traffic gain is real even though the mechanism isn't "ranking boost."

Why doesn't my rich result show up even though my markup validates?

Validation is necessary, not sufficient. Google also requires the content to be visible on the page, the markup to be complete for its type (a Product without offers gets no price snippet), and the site to be generally trusted. And some rich results are simply rationed — eligibility is not a guarantee.

What happens if my JSON-LD has a syntax error?

Google silently ignores the entire block. No warning, no partial credit — the rich results just never appear. One trailing comma is enough, which is why the first thing this tool does is a strict JSON parse.

Which schema types matter most for a local or service business?

LocalBusiness (or its specific subtype like Dentist or Plumber) for the map pack and knowledge panel; FAQPage for expandable Q&A results; Service for what you actually sell; BreadcrumbList for readable result paths; and Review/AggregateRating where you legitimately have ratings.

Should I use JSON-LD or microdata?

JSON-LD. It's Google's recommended format, lives in one script tag instead of being woven through your HTML, and is far easier to template and maintain. Every example this checker explains is JSON-LD.

Schema Markup Checker & Explainer

From page source to plain English

Validators check syntax. This checks usefulness.

The schema types that actually earn rich results

Schema questions, answered

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