Article Structured Data What Google Wants and What to Skip
search console referenceHello my friend. Article structured data is a small block of code that tells Google the headline, author and dates of a blog post or news story. Google says none of its properties are required, so this guide shows which ones are worth adding and how to check them.
- every property explained
- how to test it
- common mistakes
| property | example value | google says |
|---|---|---|
| @type | BlogPosting | allowed type |
| headline | How to Fix a Leaking Tap | recommended |
| author.name | Maria Lopez | recommended |
| datePublished | 2026-03-02T08:00:00+01:00 | recommended |
| image | /tap-repair.jpg | recommended |
// example data for a plumber’s blog in Austin. Google lists no required properties; these are the recommended ones.
What Article Structured Data Actually Is
It is a labeled summary of your article, written in code, that sits next to the visible page. Google reads it to understand the article, and it can help the article show up in richer ways in search.
Structured data is, in Google’s words, a standardized way to describe a page’s content so Google can understand it. Article markup does this for blog posts, news stories and similar pages. Google says markup must be based on one of three schema.org types: Article, NewsArticle or BlogPosting.
There are three formats you can use: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. Google says all three work when the markup is valid, but it recommends JSON-LD when your setup allows it, because it is the easiest to implement and maintain at scale. JSON-LD sits in a <script> tag, in the head or the body of the page, so it does not tangle with your visible HTML.
Here is the part many guides skip. Google’s Article page states: “There are no required properties; instead, add the properties that apply to your content.” So there is no way to “fail” by leaving one out. You simply give Google less to work with. For the wider picture, my schema markup guide explains how all these types fit together.
The Properties Google Recommends
Google recommends seven things for Article markup: author, author name, author URL, two dates, a headline and images. Add the ones that match what your page really shows.
Author and Author Name
The author can be a Person or an Organization. Google says the name field should hold only the name. Put job titles in jobTitle and the publisher in publisher.
A Page That Identifies the Author
Google describes this as a link to a web page that uniquely identifies the author. It says sameAs can be used as an alternative.
A Concise Title
Google suggests a concise title, because long titles may be truncated on some devices. Mirror the real headline on the page.
Published and Modified
datePublished and dateModified use ISO 8601 format. Include timezone information, because without it Google defaults to the timezone used by Googlebot, its crawler.
Images need a little more care. Google says image URLs must be crawlable and indexable, and the images must match the marked-up content and use a format Google Images supports. It recommends a minimum of 50K pixels when you multiply width by height, and suggests 16×9, 4×3 and 1×1 aspect ratios. Logos and captions are not what it wants here.
// source: Google Search Central, Article structured data. Whether a property is worth the effort on your site is my opinion: I add all the ones that are true and skip the rest.
How to Add Article Markup
Pick the type, describe only what is visible, add the code, then test it. Five steps cover it.
- Choose the type. Google accepts
Article,NewsArticleandBlogPosting. It does not rank them against each other, so as my own habit I useBlogPostingfor blog posts andNewsArticlefor news. - List the properties that apply. Headline, author, dates and image are the usual four. Skip any you cannot support with visible content.
- Write it as JSON-LD. If you use a CMS, look for a plugin or a search settings page instead of editing HTML. WordPress SEO plugins often output this for you.
- Test it. Paste the page into the Rich Results Test. Google says to validate during development and fix critical errors.
- Deploy a few pages and inspect them. Google suggests checking a few pages with the URL Inspection tool after deployment, then watching the rich result status reports in Search Console for templating or serving problems.
One more thing about timing. Google’s introduction does not say how long markup takes to show up in search, so ignore anyone who quotes you a number.
From Page to Markup in One Picture
Every property should have a visible twin on the page. If it does not, leave it out.
Title: How to Fix a Leaking Tap
headline: How to Fix a Leaking Tap
By Maria Lopez, March 2, 2026
author.name and datePublished with a timezone
A photo of the repair in the article
image: a crawlable URL of that photo
// example data. Google’s general guidelines say markup must match what users see and accurately represent the page.
Pick a type
Article, News, Blog
Choose properties
only what is visible
Write JSON-LD
or use a plugin
Rich Results Test
fix critical errors
URL Inspection
on a few pages
Status reports
watch for breakage
// the order is my own workflow, built from the steps in Google’s documentation.
Mistakes and Their Fixes
Almost every Article markup problem comes from describing something the page does not show, or from cramming two things into one field.
Merging Authors Into One Field
- “Maria Lopez and Tom Reed” in a single name
Fix: Google says to list every visible author in its own author entry and not to merge multiple authors into the same field.
Stuffing Extras Into the Name
- “Maria Lopez, Senior Editor, Acme Plumbing”
Fix: keep only the name in author.name. Use jobTitle for the role and publisher for the company.
Marking Up Hidden or Wrong Content
- Markup describing things the reader never sees
Fix: Google’s guidelines prohibit marking up content that is not visible or is misleading. Violations may lead to a manual action, so keep markup honest.
Pointing Multi-Page Articles to Page 1
- Canonical on page 2 pointing to page 1
Fix: Google says rel=canonical should point to each individual page or to a view-all page, not to page 1 of the series.
Also remember what a manual action does here. Google says structured data on a page under manual action is ignored, although the page can still appear in results. And valid markup does not promise a rich result: Google says it does not guarantee that markup will produce one. That is a fair thing to tell your boss before they ask where the stars are.
How to Check Your Markup Worked
A clean test and a correct inspection mean Google can read your markup. They do not mean a rich result will appear.
- Run the page through the Rich Results Test and confirm no critical errors. Warnings are worth reading, and Google says non-critical ones are optional for eligibility.
- Use the URL Inspection tool on one live page to confirm Google found the structured data.
- Open the rich result status reports in Search Console after launch. Google says templating or serving problems can break markup silently.
- To measure impact, compare a few marked-up pages before and after in the Performance report, as Google suggests.
If you would rather hand this over, my technical SEO work covers structured data, and a cheap SEO company like mine can roll it out across the whole site. Related reading: organization structured data and the structured data guidelines.
Article Markup Questions Answered
Is article structured data required?
No. Google’s Article page says there are no required properties and that you should add the ones that apply to your content. Your page can rank without it.
Which type should I use: Article, NewsArticle or BlogPosting?
Google accepts all three and does not rank them. As my own rule of thumb, I use BlogPosting for blog posts and NewsArticle for news. Pick the one that honestly describes the page.
Will article markup give me a rich result?
Not necessarily. Google says it does not guarantee that markup will produce rich results. Treat the markup as clear labeling, and any extra display as a bonus.
Do I need a date with a timezone?
Google recommends including timezone information. Without it, Google defaults to the timezone used by Googlebot, which may not match yours.
Can I list more than one author?
Yes. Google says all visible authors should appear in the markup, each in its own author entry. Do not merge them into one field.
Send Me Your URL. I’ll Check Your Markup.
One WhatsApp message is enough for a first look.
Sources and Last Check
- Google Search Central: Article structured data (types, properties, image and author rules)
- Google Search Central: Intro to structured data (formats, testing, no guarantees)
- Google Search Central: General structured data guidelines (visible content, manual actions)
// last checked 11 Nov 2026. Example data is invented. Type choice and workflow tips are my experience and opinion.