What it means
Structured data is schema.org markup, usually a JSON-LD block in a <script type="application/ld+json"> element, describing what the page is: a product with a price, an article with an author, an organization with a logo.
Three problems come up most: no markup at all, a block that isn’t valid JSON and is ignored completely, and items that lack the properties Google requires for their rich result.
Why it matters
Google uses structured data to understand pages and to show rich results. Valid markup makes a page eligible for them; Google doesn’t guarantee them.
Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode need no special schema markup, so structured data isn’t a shortcut into AI answers. What matters is valid markup that matches the visible page.
How to find it yourself
- Run the structured data checker or Google’s Rich Results Test on the page.
- Search Console’s enhancement reports list items with errors for pages Google has crawled.
How to fix it
On any website
- Fix syntax errors first: a trailing comma or an unescaped quote makes the whole block unreadable.
- Add the required properties for each item from Google’s guide for that rich result, with values shown on the page.
- Keep one source of markup per type; themes, plugins and apps often each add their own.
On Shopify
- Most themes output Product and Organization JSON-LD. Check the theme’s product template and any SEO or review app for duplicate or incomplete blocks.
On WordPress and WooCommerce
- SEO plugins and WooCommerce output structured data. Check which plugin is responsible for each type and switch off duplicates.
How to check the fix
- Run the structured data checker and confirm no required property is missing.
- Test with Google’s Rich Results Test, which also checks values.
How FixReports finds it
The SEO checker looks for Product, Organization, WebSite and Article data on the key pages it tests; the structured data checker parses every JSON-LD block on a page and checks each item against Google’s required properties.