By Shad Super in Questions —

What Are the Differences Between the Rich Results Test Tool and the Structured Data Testing Tool, and When Should Each Be Used?

Summary

The Rich Results Test tool and the Structured Data Testing Tool are both created by Google to help webmasters and SEOs validate structured data on their webpages. However, each tool serves different purposes and offers varying features. The Rich Results Test is specifically designed to test and visualize how your pages may appear in Google's search rich results, while the Structured Data Testing Tool offers broader validation of structured data syntax according to schema.org specifications.

Rich Results Test Tool

The Rich Results Test tool is intended to help webmasters ensure that their structured data is correctly implemented to be eligible for rich results in Google Search. Rich results, also known as enriched search results, offer enhanced visual experiences on the SERP like carousels, images, or other non-textual elements to attract user clicks.

Features and Uses

  • Tests structured data against Google's rich result feature criteria.
  • Displays a preview of how the rich result may appear in Google's search results.
  • Validates only the structured data types supported for rich results by Google.
  • Markups covered include Articles, Books, Breadcrumbs, Datasets, Events, FAQs, Products, Reviews, etc. [Google Search Data Types].
  • Identifies errors and warnings specific to rich results eligibility.

When to Use the Rich Results Test Tool

You should use the Rich Results Test tool when:

  • You want to verify that your content is eligible for rich results features in Google Search.
  • You need to preview how rich results will appear on the search results page.
  • You aim to identify and fix errors or warnings related to rich result eligibility.

Structured Data Testing Tool

The Structured Data Testing Tool was developed by Google for a broad validation of structured data against the schema.org standard. This tool allowed webmasters to verify that their structured data markup is syntactically correct and that it matches schema.org types and properties.

Features and Uses

  • Validates a wider array of schema.org structured data types beyond what is supported for rich results by Google.
  • Checks syntax validity against schema.org structured data specifications.
  • Displays a detailed breakdown of each structured data element, identifying errors and missing fields.
  • Was highly useful for schema debugging and ensuring markup correctness.

When to Use the Structured Data Testing Tool

You should use the Structured Data Testing Tool when:

  • You need to validate structured data against schema.org specification beyond Google’s rich results.
  • The tool's holistic validation helps in debugging complex schema structures, ensuring syntactic and field correctness.
  • You are working with structured data types not covered by rich results, such as additional custom vocabularies.

Transition to the Rich Results Test

In 2020, Google announced it would be deprecating the Structured Data Testing Tool in favor of the Rich Results Test [Google Webmasters Blog, 2020]. The transition highlights Google's focus on rich results, but also emphasizes the need for webmasters to adhere to the core structured data principles.

Conclusion

To sum up, the Rich Results Test tool is designed specifically for testing structured data eligibility for rich results in Google Search. In contrast, the Structured Data Testing Tool, now deprecated, was used for broader validation against schema.org standards. Webmasters and SEOs should use the Rich Results Test to optimize for enhanced search features, although alternative tools may be needed for comprehensive schema validation.

References