HOW TO INSPECT STRUCTURED DATA (RICH RESULTS) USING THE URL INSPECTION TOOL IN GOOGLE SEARCH CONSOLE

How to Inspect Structured Data (Rich Results) Using the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console

How to Inspect Structured Data (Rich Results) Using the URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console

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Google’s URL Inspection Tool in Google Search Console (GSC) is a helpful tool for inspecting and troubleshooting rich results on your web pages. By using this tool, you can ensure that your structured data is correctly implemented and eligible to trigger rich results in Google Search. Here's a guide on how to inspect structured data (rich results) for your pages.



Step 1: Log in to Google Search Console



  • Open your browser and visit Google Search Console.

  • Log in with your Google account.

  • Select the property (website) you want to inspect.





Step 2: Navigate to the URL Inspection Tool



  • On the left sidebar of Google Search Console, click on "URL Inspection".

    • This will take you to a search bar where you can inspect any specific URL from your website.







Step 3: Enter the URL to Inspect



  • In the search bar at the top of the URL Inspection Tool, enter the full URL of the page you want to inspect.

    • Example: https://www.example.com/product-page

    • Press Enter to begin the inspection process.







Step 4: Review the Indexing Status



  • After entering the URL, Google will show you the indexing status of the page. This will help you understand whether the page is currently indexed or if there are any issues preventing it from being included in Google’s index.

  • You will see:

    • "URL is on Google": The page is indexed.

    • "Crawled - Currently not indexed": The page has been crawled, but not indexed yet.

    • "Noindex": The page is excluded from indexing (due to a noindex directive).







Step 5: Scroll to the "Enhancements" Section



  • Once the URL status is displayed, scroll down to the "Enhancements" section.

  • The Enhancements section will provide you with details about any structured data (rich results) detected on the page.





Step 6: Review the Structured Data Information



  • Rich Results Detected: If Google detects structured data on the page, you’ll see which rich result types are available for the page, such as:

    • Product

    • Recipe

    • Event

    • FAQ

    • Review

    • How-to

    • Article, etc.



  • Status of Rich Results: The tool will tell you if the page’s structured data is eligible for rich results or if there are any errors or warnings affecting the rich result display.





Step 7: Inspect Rich Results Data



  • If the page has eligible structured data, you’ll see more details about the type of rich results that can appear in search. This can include:

    • Ratings (for Product or Review pages).

    • Price (for Product pages).

    • Cook time and ingredients (for Recipe pages).

    • Event dates and times (for Event pages).

    • Questions and Answers (for FAQ pages).







Step 8: Check for Errors or Warnings



  • If Google finds any issues with your structured data, the URL Inspection Tool will display errors or warnings. Errors can prevent rich results from appearing, while warnings are less severe but should still be addressed.

    Common Structured Data Errors and Warnings:

    • Missing Required Fields: For example, a Product page might be missing required fields such as price or sku.

    • Incorrect Format: Google may detect incorrect formats, like dates in the wrong format (e.g., 2024-31-12 instead of 2024-12-31).

    • Missing Required Properties: For example, a Recipe page may be missing cookingTime or ingredients.

    • Invalid Types: Sometimes the markup may not follow the proper schema for the type of page (e.g., marking up a FAQ page as a Product).







Step 9: View the Structured Data Code



  • For advanced troubleshooting, you can click “View Crawled Page” to inspect the HTML or structured data code that Googlebot crawled. This is particularly useful to:

    • See the raw JSON-LD, Microdata, or RDFa structured data on your page.

    • Identify exactly where the issues are in the structured data markup.







Step 10: Fix Structured Data Issues


If you find errors or warnings related to the structured data:

  1. Edit your structured data markup:

    • Ensure all required properties are included.

    • Correct any formatting issues (e.g., correct date formats, currency codes).

    • Add optional properties to enhance the eligibility of rich results.



  2. Validate the Fix: Once you’ve fixed the structured data issues, you can click on “Validate Fix” in the Enhancements section. This triggers a re-crawl of the page to check whether the issues have been resolved.





Step 11: Monitor the Results



  • After validating the fix, Google will review your page and update the status.

  • Revisit the URL Inspection Tool after a few days to check if the issues were resolved and if rich results are now being displayed.





Summary of Key Steps to Inspect Structured Data (Rich Results):



  1. Log into Google Search Console.

  2. Go to "URL Inspection" and enter the URL of the page you want to inspect.

  3. Review the indexing status of the page (whether it is indexed or not).

  4. Scroll down to the "Enhancements" section and look for rich results detected.

  5. If structured data is detected, review errors or warnings that might be preventing rich results from appearing.

  6. Inspect the structured data code for potential issues (using View Crawled Page).

  7. Fix any issues with the structured data and ensure it complies with Google’s requirements.

  8. Validate the fix to notify Google that you've made corrections.

  9. Monitor the page to ensure the changes take effect and rich results are now showing.


By following this process, you can ensure that your pages are properly optimized for rich results, which can help enhance their visibility and performance in search engine results pages (SERPs).













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