Key takeaways

  • Google moved its Structured Data Testing Tool to schema.org in 2021 as the Schema Markup Validator, which checks schema.org syntax but not Google rich result types.
  • Google's Rich Results Test answers the rich result question, and HowTo and FAQ markup no longer produce rich results in Google Search.
  • seogeoaeo.ai's Schema Markup Checker tests JSON-LD against Google's documented rules and suggests missing types for 8 credits per run.

Google's structured data testing tool is gone in its old form: in 2021 its schema.org checks moved to the Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org, and checks for Google's rich results live in the Rich Results Test. If you just want to know what is wrong with your JSON-LD and what Google expects before you ship, our pick is seogeoaeo.ai's Schema Markup Checker, which tests markup against Google's documented rules and suggests the types a page is missing.

Old bookmarks and old blog posts still point people at the original tool, so here is what happened and what to open now.

The timeline, short version

Date What happened
July 2020 Google announced the Rich Results Test was out of beta and said the old tool would be deprecated
December 15, 2020 Google changed course: the tool would move to a schema.org domain by April 2021 and stop checking Google rich result types
May 11, 2021 Schema.org announced the new home, the Schema Markup Validator
August 9, 2021 With the validator stable, Google began redirecting the old tool to a page that helps you pick the right one
September 2023 HowTo rich results disappeared from Google Search
May 7, 2026 FAQ rich results stopped appearing in Google Search

The last two rows matter because many tutorials written for the old tool used FAQ and HowTo markup as examples. Those examples still validate, and they no longer produce anything in Google's results.

Why Google split it

The December 2020 post from Google Search Central gives the reason: to better support open standards. The schema.org version would check syntax and compliance with schema.org, while the Rich Results Test and Search Console would be the tools for Google Search. Google's own example was ExercisePlan, a valid type it does not use. For that, the schema.org validator is the right tool.

So one tool that answered two questions became two tools that each answer one.

What to open now, by question

Is my markup valid schema.org? Use the Schema Markup Validator. Schema.org says it fetches a URL or takes pasted markup, reads JSON-LD, RDFa and Microdata, picks up data injected by JavaScript, and flags syntax mistakes. It is built on the old Google tool.

Can this page get a Google rich result? Use the Rich Results Test. It reads all three formats, tests with a smartphone crawler by default, and marks each item valid, valid with warnings, or invalid.

What is broken and what is missing, before I publish? Use the seogeoaeo.ai schema checker. Paste JSON-LD or give it a public URL, and it reports blocks that fail to parse, required and recommended properties missing under Google's rules, and the schema.org types the page should add. It also flags retired types like FAQPage. A run costs 8 credits, and it runs from the browser or from an AI coding agent over MCP.

What did Google actually find on my live site? Use Search Console's rich result reports and URL Inspection, which only work for sites you have added there.

Where the old habits trip people up

  • Expecting one verdict. The validator passing your markup tells you nothing about Google. Run Google's test as well.
  • Copying dated examples. FAQ markup copied from an older tutorial is valid schema.org and earns no rich result today.
  • Reading valid as shown. Google says correct markup does not guarantee that structured data appears in search results.
  • Testing the wrong HTML. The seogeoaeo.ai checker reads the HTML your server sends and does not run JavaScript, so markup added by a tag manager needs Google's test, which renders the page.

If your site uses Microdata or RDFa, the free Google and schema.org tools are the better fit, because the seogeoaeo.ai checker reads JSON-LD only.

Frequently asked questions

Is Google's structured data testing tool still available?

Not in its old form. Since August 2021 Google redirects it to a page that helps you pick between the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org.

What is the difference between the Schema Markup Validator and the Rich Results Test?

The Schema Markup Validator checks whether markup is valid schema.org, for any type. The Rich Results Test checks whether a page qualifies for Google's rich results, for the types Google supports.

Sources

  1. An update on the Structured Data Testing ToolGoogle Search Central Blog
  2. Schema.org Markup ValidatorSchema.org
  3. Schema Markup Checkerseogeoaeo.ai
  4. Rich Results Test helpGoogle Search Console Help
  5. Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich resultsGoogle Search Central Blog
  6. Latest documentation updatesGoogle Search Central