Why Basic Validation Is Not Enough
Google's Rich Results Test tells you whether your structured data is syntactically valid. It does not tell you why your rich results are not appearing, whether your schema type is the best choice, or whether subtle property errors are silently disqualifying you.
The Schema Debugger goes further. It performs a deep analysis of every JSON-LD block on your page — checking syntax, semantic correctness, property completeness, content alignment, and rich result eligibility.
What the Schema Debugger Checks
Syntax validation — every bracket, comma, and quote mark is checked. Invalid JSON is immediately identified with the exact character position of the error.
Schema.org compliance — checks that every property used actually exists in the specification for the declared type.
Required property completeness — each schema type has properties that Google requires to generate rich results. The debugger checks every required and recommended property.
Content alignment — compares the values in your JSON-LD against the visible content on the page. If your schema says a product costs £29.99 but the page shows £35.00, the debugger flags the mismatch.
Nesting validation — checks that embedded entities are correctly structured and properly connected.
Deprecation warnings — flags any properties or types that Google no longer supports.
Common Issues Found by the Debugger
The most frequently found issues are datePublished in the wrong format (must be ISO 8601), aggregateRating with a ratingCount of zero, image property containing a relative URL, author as a plain string instead of a Person entity, price without a matching priceCurrency, and contactPoint missing contactType.
How to Use the Schema Debugger
Enter any URL into the Schema Debugger. Each issue is shown with a severity level, a plain-English explanation, and a suggested fix. After making changes, re-run the debugger to confirm everything is resolved.