Guide
Google Rich Results Test: how to use it and read the results
Updated · 5 min read · By Mohamed Asif M
The short answer
Google's Rich Results Test checks whether a page's structured data can produce rich results in Google Search, such as review stars, product details or breadcrumbs. Paste a URL or a code snippet, and it lists each rich result type it found as valid, valid with warnings, or invalid, with the exact field at fault. It only tests Google's supported types; for any schema.org markup, use the Schema Markup Validator.
Key points
- Test a live URL or paste code; the page must be reachable without a login.
- Errors make an item ineligible for rich results; warnings mean optional fields are missing.
- Valid markup makes a page eligible, not guaranteed: Google decides whether to show a rich result.
- Use the Schema Markup Validator for schema.org types Google doesn't use for rich results.
What a rich result is
A rich result is a search result with something extra beyond the blue link and description: star ratings, a product's price and availability, event dates, a breadcrumb trail instead of a URL, a recipe photo. Google creates many of them from structured data: code on your page, usually JSON-LD, that labels facts in a standard way.
The Rich Results Test tells you whether Google can read that code and whether it qualifies for a rich result. Our guide to schema markup for small businesses explains which types are worth adding.
How to run the test
- Open the Rich Results Test at
search.google.com/test/rich-results. - Choose URL and paste the full address of your page, or choose Code and paste the HTML or the JSON-LD snippet you want to check.
- Run the test. It takes a few seconds to a minute.
Two things to know:
- The page must be public. Google's help says pages behind a login or firewall won't load; the test needs to reach the page as an anonymous visitor.
- It crawls as a smartphone by default, because most people browse on phones. You can switch to desktop, and the results show which was used.
Reading the results
The top of the report gives a summary, and each rich result type found gets its own section.
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "N valid items detected" | The markup is correct for that type | Nothing; the page is eligible |
| "N valid items with warnings detected" | Correct, but some recommended fields are missing | Add the missing fields if you have the information |
| "N invalid items detected" | A required field is missing or wrong | Fix it; the item can't produce a rich result |
| "No items detected" | No supported rich result markup found | Check the markup is there, or use the Schema Validator |
Click any item to see the fields Google read and the exact problem. The View tested page option shows the rendered HTML and a screenshot, which helps when markup is added by JavaScript.
Common errors and fixes
- Missing required field: for example, a Product without a name, or a Review without an author. Add the field, using information that's visible on the page.
- Invalid value: a date in the wrong format, a price with a currency symbol inside the number, a rating outside its stated range. Use the formats Google's documentation for that type lists.
- Markup doesn't match the page: structured data should describe content people can see on the page. Ratings in code but not on the page, for example, go against Google's guidelines.
- Markup missing on the live page but present in your CMS: a caching plugin or theme may strip it. Test the live URL, not just the code.
- Several plugins adding the same type: two Organization or LocalBusiness blocks with different details. Keep one source.
Rich Results Test vs Schema Markup Validator
| Rich Results Test | Schema Markup Validator | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | schema.org | |
| Checks | Google-supported rich result types only | Any schema.org markup |
| Tells you | Whether Google can show a rich result | Whether the markup is valid schema.org |
| Use it for | Product, review, event, breadcrumb and other Google types | LocalBusiness details, Organization, anything Google doesn't use for a rich result |
So a LocalBusiness block can show "No items detected" for some rich result types and still be perfectly valid schema.org. Check it at validator.schema.org.
Valid isn't the same as shown
Passing the test means the page is eligible. Google decides whether to actually show a rich result, based on the search, the device and its own quality systems. Google also changes which rich results it supports: FAQ rich results, for example, no longer appear in Google Search from May 2026. See FAQ schema in 2026 for what that means.
After the test: Search Console
Once your markup is live, Search Console shows rich result reports for the supported types it found across your whole site, with valid and invalid counts over time. Use them to spot a template change that broke markup on hundreds of pages. URL inspection also shows the structured data Google detected on a single indexed page. New to Search Console? Read Search Console for owners.
A worked example
An online spice store in Kerala (a made-up example) adds Product markup to its product pages. The Rich Results Test shows "1 invalid item detected": the price field contains "₹450" as text. The developer changes it to the number 450 with the currency INR in its own field, and the item becomes valid with one warning: no review data. The store has no reviews on the page yet, so it leaves the warning. It also runs its home page's LocalBusiness block through the Schema Markup Validator, which shows no errors. Later, the Search Console report for products shows the count of valid items rising as Google recrawls each page. See our page for ecommerce and D2C brands.
How often to test
- Every time you add or change structured data. (Need a LocalBusiness block to start from? The free business schema generator writes one; test it in the Schema Markup Validator.)
- After a theme, plugin or template change.
- When Search Console reports new invalid items.
Questions people ask
What is a rich result?
A Google search result with extra features beyond the standard link and description, such as review stars, product price and availability, event dates or breadcrumbs. Many are generated from structured data on the page.
How to test your schema?
Use Google's Rich Results Test to check Google-supported rich result types for a URL or code snippet, and the Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org for any schema.org markup.
Why does the Rich Results Test say no items detected?
Either there's no structured data on the page, it's added in a way the test can't see, or it's a schema.org type Google doesn't use for rich results. Check the code and test it in the Schema Markup Validator.
If my markup is valid, will Google show a rich result?
Not necessarily. Valid markup makes the page eligible; Google decides whether to show a rich result for each search.
Sources
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