Google is updating the structured data report in Search Console to provide more context about errors, helping you fix invalid markup with less guesswork.
The update is rolling out to Search Console reports starting today and impacts all rich result status reports, the URL inspection tool, and the rich results test.
How Is The Structured Data Report Changing?
As an example of what’s changing — let’s say you’re using review snippet markup but you omit the name of the author.
That would result in an error. Prior to today, the structured data report would display a messaging stating: Missing field “name”.
If there’s multiple fields in the markup for a person’s name, the previous way of reporting errors wasn’t as helpful as it could have been.
Going forward, the same error will now read: Missing field “name” (in “author”).
The added detail in parenthesis makes it possible to immediately pinpoint what’s missing from the markup so you can go in and fix it.
Here’s a visual comparison of the old versus new method of reporting errors in Search Console’s structured data report:
Screenshot from developers.google.com/search/blog, March 2022.How Will This Impact My Use Of Google Search Console?
As mentioned, this update will affect:
- All Search Console rich result status reports
- URL Inspection tool
- Rich Results test
As a result of these changes, all open issues that refer to nested properties will be automatically closed. New issues will be opened with more context about what’s missing.
To avoid inbox overload, Search Console will not be sending email notifications about the new issues.
Google clarifies there are no changes to how errors are detected. This only changes how errors are reported.
Source: Google
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