What happens after Validate fix is selected for a structured data error?

Definition: In Google's Unparsable structured data report, selecting Validate Fix starts Search Console's validation process for the selected issue after repairs. It first checks a small sample, then recrawls known affected URLs and assigns issue and instance states as checks proceed.

Key facts

• Google's report covers structured data that could not be parsed because of a serious syntax error, so the intended data type cannot be determined. The report lists examples such as invalid JSON and missing punctuation.
• Every item in this report is a critical structured data error. The report has no warnings or valid items.
• After Validate Fix is selected, Search Console immediately checks a few pages, then queues URLs with known instances of the issue. Google's Validation details page says that the whole site is not queued for this validation.
• An instance that remains on a checked URL puts the issue in Failed and ends the validation. An unreachable URL receives Other.
• Start new validation checks URLs in Pending or Failed, plus new instances found through normal crawling. URLs already marked Passed or Other are not checked again.

What should be repaired before selecting Validate Fix?

The unparsable structured data report is shown only when Google finds structured data that it cannot parse. Its error list includes Invalid JSON document, Incorrect value type, Parsing error: Missing ':', and Bad escape sequence in string. A single error affecting several pages commonly comes from an underlying template error, according to the report documentation.

The report directs site owners to use the Rich Results Test to fix and test the syntax. After the parsing problem is repaired, another warning or error can appear because it was hidden while the item was unparseable. The report then directs the operator to select Validate Fix on the issue details page.

What validation stages follow the selection?

Google's Validation details describes an initial sample check. If the current instance appears on one of those pages, validation ends and the validation state stays unchanged. If the sample has no current error, the process moves to Started; unrelated issues are counted against their own issue type.

Search Console then works through known URLs affected by that issue. It records checked URLs in the validation history. For each checked URL, an absent issue changes the instance state to Passed; the first such result can change the issue state to Looking good. A URL that cannot be reached receives Other, which Google treats as equivalent to Passed for the instance. If the structured data issue remains, the instance becomes Failed and validation ends.

When all queued instances are found fixed, the issue state becomes Passed and the affected-item count becomes zero. The severity label remains Error or Warning. In Rich Result reports, validation history groups items by the combination of URL and structured data item, using the item's Name value.

What happens after a failed validation?

The Google validation documentation says to wait for the current validation cycle to finish before requesting another one. After a failure, open the failed validation log from the issue details page, select See details, and choose Start new validation after the repairs are live.

The new cycle includes every URL marked Pending or Failed, together with new instances found through normal crawling since the previous attempt. It skips URLs marked Passed or Other. Google says validation typically takes up to about two weeks, although some cases take longer. The validation details page shows the status for each URL included in the request and records the validation history.

Related terms

• Structured data
• JSON-LD
• How do I test a URL or code snippet with Google's Rich Results Test?
• How does Schema.org validation differ from Google's Rich Results Test?

FAQ

Does Validate Fix recrawl the whole website?

No. Google queues URLs with known instances of the selected issue. The validation process checks those URLs rather than the whole site.

What does a Failed instance mean?

It means Google checked the instance and still found the issue. Validation ends when that remaining instance is found.

Which instances are checked after Start new validation?

Google checks instances marked Pending or Failed, together with new instances found through normal crawling. Instances marked Passed or Other are not rechecked.

Sources

1. Google Search Console Help, "Unparsable structured data report", undated
2. Google Search Console Help, "Validation details", undated

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