1. Choose a fitting type
Article or BlogPosting markup can describe an article’s headline, image, description, dates, and publisher. BreadcrumbList can describe the page’s place in the site. Add only types that accurately match visible content.
For a normal editorial guide, Article or BlogPosting is appropriate; choose the type that best describes the visible page. BreadcrumbList can describe the navigation path, but it should match what visitors can actually follow.
2. Keep values consistent
Use the actual headline, canonical URL, image, and publication details from the page. Do not invent ratings, authors, dates, or other facts to try to qualify for a search feature.
Keep the visible headline, canonical URL, image, byline, and dates consistent with JSON-LD. Use an author only when the page identifies that author, and never invent dates or credentials for markup.
3. Validate the markup
Check the JSON-LD syntax and use Google’s rich-results testing tools where applicable. A page can have valid schema without being eligible for, or receiving, a special search appearance.
Validate syntax with the Rich Results Test and inspect the page after deployment. A valid result means the markup can be parsed; it does not promise a rich result or a ranking increase.
4. Maintain it with the article
When the title, image, URL, or other marked-up information changes, update the structured data too. Treat the markup as a second representation of the page, not as a replacement for clear visible writing.
When editorial facts change, update the page and the corresponding fields together. Google’s Article guidance recommends author, datePublished, dateModified, headline, and representative images when those details apply. For URL variants, align it with the canonical URL guide.
Related official guidance: Google Search Central: Article structured data.