A replacement for Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, called the Schema Markup Validator, is now available to use in an open beta.
Launched as a subdomain on the official Schema.org website, the new tool is not an exact 1:1 copy of Google’s Structured Data Testing Tool, but it is functionally similar.
Google shuttered the original tool in July 2020, claiming all its features were migrated to the Rich Results Rest and no longer needed to exist as a standalone offering.
That wasn’t 100% true, however, because the Rich Results Test is limited to testing structured data markup that’s officially supported in Google’s search results.
There are many other types of structured data beyond what Google uses to render rich results in SERPs, and the Rich Results Test doesn’t offer the ability to test for those.
After hearing feedback from SEOs lamenting the loss of the Structured Data Testing Tool, Google decided it will live on at a new domain.
In December 2020, Google announced its shuttered tool will move to Schema.org in April 2021. One month shy of target, the tool can now be used at validator.schema.org.
How does it stack up to the original? Let’s take a look.
A “Refocused” Structured Data Testing Tool
Google made users aware ahead of time that the Schema.org tool would be a refocused version of the original.
The Schema Markup Validator is refocused in the sense that it strictly tests for Schema.org properties. Here’s what’s stated in the tool’s documentation:
“The tool is focused on Schema.org. In the case of JSON-LD, this means that it will not fetch or interpret other @context URLs.”
It’s capable of testing for all Schema properties, not just the ones supported in Google’s search results.
Site owners and developers can run a test in the Schema Markup Validator either by submitting a URL or providing the raw code. It tests for structured data in the page’s HTML, as well as markup injected by JavaScript.
Functionalities of the Schema Markup Validator include:
- Extracts JSON-LD 1.0, RDFa 1.1, Microdata markup.
- Displays a summary of the extracted structured data graph.
- Identifies syntax mistakes in the markup.
Other than the lack of Google branding, using the validator feels exactly like using the old Structured Data Testing Tool.
After navigating to the Schema Markup Validator, users are greeted with a familiar prompt to enter a URL or a code snippet.
Results are delivered seconds after clicking “Run Test,” and look as expected. Here’s an example of a test of the Search Engine Journal home page.
Curiously there’s been no announcement from Google or Schema.org about this tool being launched.
Although the Schema Markup Validator is confirmed to be the replacement Google was referring to back in December, according to this line in the documentation:
“It is based on the tool previously known as the Google Structured Data Testing Tool (SDTT), and is provided by Google as a service for the Schema.org community.”
Those who use the tool as part of their day-to-day work should keep in mind it’s a beta and unexpected errors may occur.
Sources: Schema.org Markup Validator
