How do I mark a cancelled event in structured data?

Definition: Structured data is a standardized format for describing page content. As of October 2026, Google's documented cancellation update is to set an event's eventStatus to https://schema.org/EventCancelled while preserving the original values of its other properties, including startDate and location.

Key facts

• Google's Event structured data documentation says that the original start date and location help identify the event whose status changes.
• Schema.org defines EventCancelled as a value of EventStatusType indicating that the event has been cancelled.
• Google's general structured data guidelines require markup to represent the page content and information to remain up to date.
• Google's Rich Results Test help documents testing either a page URL or a code snippet.

Which original event information stays in place?

Google's cancellation instructions say to keep all other property values as they were before cancellation. This includes the original startDate, which records when the event was scheduled to begin, and location, which records the venue. Existing properties such as name and endDate also remain in place under that instruction.

The same documentation explains the reason: the date and location identify the unique event and help people understand its changed status. Replacing the scheduled start date with the date of the cancellation announcement would discard information Google asks websites to preserve.

What change belongs in the markup?

In Google's Event status examples, the cancellation value uses the full Schema.org URL. The following property excerpt belongs inside the existing Event object:

"eventStatus": "https://schema.org/EventCancelled"

Add this property when it is absent, or replace its existing status value. Retain the surrounding event object and its other properties. The excerpt shows the status change only; it is a fragment of the existing markup.

The same documentation treats an omitted eventStatus as EventScheduled. Leaving the status absent therefore continues to describe an event as scheduled, even when the page announces cancellation.

How is the update checked?

The page's visible cancellation notice and its structured data should agree. Google's content and relevance guidelines require current information, visible content corresponding to the markup, and a true representation of the page.

Google's Rich Results Test instructions provide a practical check: select Code to test edited markup, then submit the published page's full URL to test the live version. Expand detected items to examine errors and warnings. A code test checks the submitted snippet; a URL test checks the page supplied at that address.

After publication, Google's Event implementation workflow recommends URL Inspection to check how Google sees the page and allows a recrawl request. The page must remain accessible to Google, including without a login requirement.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• How do I mark a postponed event in structured data?
• How do I test a URL or code snippet with Google's Rich Results Test?

FAQ

Should I remove the original date after cancellation?

Keep the existing startDate. Google's Event status documentation explicitly requires it to identify the event when its status changes.

What if the event is postponed and the new date is unknown?

Use EventPostponed and keep the original startDate until the new date is known. The same Event documentation assigns that status to a postponement with an unknown replacement date.

Is a cancellation notice in the page text enough?

Update the markup as well. Google interprets a missing eventStatus as EventScheduled, so set the cancellation value explicitly while keeping the visible page consistent with it.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Event (Event) structured data", updated 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "EventCancelled", undated
3. Google Search Central, "General structured data guidelines", updated 10 July 2026
4. Google Search Console Help, "Rich Results Test", undated

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