# Missing or invalid structured data

Source: https://www.fixreports.com/issues/structured-data-problems

Structured data describes a page to search engines in a standard format. Missing, broken or incomplete markup makes a page ineligible for rich results such as prices, ratings and breadcrumbs.

## 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
1. Fix syntax errors first: a trailing comma or an unescaped quote makes the whole block unreadable.
2. Add the required properties for each item from Google’s guide for that rich result, with values shown on the page.
3. Keep one source of markup per type; themes, plugins and apps often each add their own.

## On Shopify
1. 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
1. 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.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is FAQ markup still useful?

Not for Google rich results: Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on 7 May 2026. The markup is still valid schema.org.

### Does structured data improve rankings?

Google describes it as a way to understand content and enable rich results, not as a ranking factor.

## Sources
- Google Search Central: Introduction to structured data markup: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/intro-structured-data
- Google Search Central: General structured data guidelines: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/sd-policies
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website: https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features