How can a forum report partial comments?

Definition: commentCount is an integer that reports the number of comments about a forum post or comment. Google documents it for cases where the page contains only part of the discussion in its comment markup.

Key facts

• Google's discussion forum documentation gives commentCount the expected type Integer for a DiscussionForumPosting.
• Google describes the value as the number of comments about the post and says it is useful when some comments are absent from the comment markup.
• The same documentation defines commentCount on a Comment as the number of comments about that comment, which covers replies that are outside the markup on the current page.
• Schema.org's DiscussionForumPosting definition describes commentCount as the number of comments a CreativeWork has received and says that additional comments may exist elsewhere.
• Schema.org's DiscussionForumPosting example shows a Comment count: 25 value for a forum post.

What should the count represent?

commentCount represents the discussion total for the item carrying the property. On a DiscussionForumPosting, Google's documentation says that the integer is the number of comments about the post. On a nested Comment, it is the number of comments about that comment. The value therefore describes comments represented by the thread as a whole, while the comment array can contain only the comments available in the page's markup.

Schema.org's definition of commentCount uses the same distinction: it counts comments received by the CreativeWork, while additional comments may exist elsewhere. The count belongs on the post or comment whose discussion is being counted.

How should a multi-page thread be marked up?

Google recommends nesting comments under the post they relate to. For a linear forum, later pages should include the original post with the main page URL. The comments that are present should be marked up in the order in which they appear on that page.

The following is a compact shape based on Google's forum example and Schema.org's example count. Replace 25 with the total comment count for the item represented by the object.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DiscussionForumPosting",
  "url": "https://example.com/post/very-popular-thread",
  "commentCount": 25,
  "comment": [
    {
      "@type": "Comment",
      "text": "First Post on this Page"
    }
  ]
}

The comment array in this shape shows the comments available on the page. commentCount reports the total associated with the post, so the two values can differ when pagination or another page layout leaves some comments outside the current markup.

What about replies to a comment?

The same rule applies one level down. Google defines comment on a comment as another comment about or in response to that comment, and says to mark up those comments in visible order. It also defines commentCount for the comment as the number of comments about it when the full set is absent from the markup.

For a threaded forum, Google's example represents a reply as a nested Comment object. A reply count on the parent comment can therefore accompany a partial nested comment array. Schema.org identifies comment as comments, typically from users, and expects commentCount as an Integer.

How can you check the implementation?

Compare the integer on each post or comment with the forum's total for that item, then compare the comment objects with the order shown on the page. Google's structured data workflow says to validate the code with the Rich Results Test, deploy a few pages, and use the URL Inspection tool to test how Google sees the page. The documentation also recommends monitoring structured data in Search Console.

Related terms

• How should nested forum replies be ordered in structured data?
• Which URL belongs in markup for a discussion spanning several pages?
• Which content fields are required for a forum post?
• Which interaction counts does Google accept for discussion posts?

FAQ

Should commentCount equal the number of comment objects in the page source?

No. Google documents commentCount for cases where some comments are absent from the comment markup, so the property can report the discussion total while the array contains the comments represented on that page.

Can a Comment have its own commentCount?

Yes. Google documents the property on a comment for the number of comments about that comment, including cases where replies are absent from its nested markup.

What value should a partial page use?

Use the total comment count for the post or comment represented by the object. Schema.org's example displays Comment count: 25; the number is an example value, not a prescribed count for every forum.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Discussion Forum structured data", 8 September 2026
2. Schema.org, "DiscussionForumPosting", undated

---

Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer