Practical structured data guide
Article Schema Markup: connect the author, dates and page
Article JSON-LD is most useful when it describes a genuine editorial page. The markup should clarify the headline, authorship and publication history that a reader can already understand from the page.
Quick answer
Use `Article` for editorial content, keep the author and dates visible and accurate, and make `mainEntityOfPage` point to the same canonical article URL. Do not invent authors or dates to make a page appear fresher.
What the markup should clarify
A reader should be able to identify the article title, author and relevant dates without inspecting the source. JSON-LD adds structured context; it does not replace a byline or editorial page.
Publication versus modification
`datePublished` represents the original publication date. `dateModified` should change when meaningful content is updated, not whenever a template or tracking script changes. Keep the visible date and structured value consistent.
When Article is the wrong type
A generator, pricing page or account screen is not automatically an Article because it contains text. Use the type that reflects the main purpose of the page and keep the content visible and relevant.
Copy-ready JSON-LD example
Replace every placeholder with facts that are true and visible on your own page. Do not publish the sample identity, URL or values unchanged.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Article",
"headline": "How to validate JSON-LD before publishing",
"description": "A practical guide to checking JSON-LD before and after deployment.",
"author": {
"@type": "Person",
"name": "Alex Morgan"
},
"datePublished": "2026-08-01",
"dateModified": "2026-08-20",
"mainEntityOfPage": "https://example.com/guides/validate-jsonld"
}What fails
The page shows no byline but the markup claims an author, or `dateModified` is updated daily without meaningful editorial changes.
What works better
Show the real author and dates, update them when the article genuinely changes and keep the canonical page identity consistent.
Publishing checklist
- The headline is the main visible title.
- Author identity is real and represented on the page.
- Dates reflect editorial history.
- `mainEntityOfPage` matches the canonical URL.
- Images are relevant, crawlable and actually associated with the article.
A reliable workflow
Generate or edit the markup, validate the exact code, compare important properties with the visible page, publish it, then inspect the live URL. For critical pages, save a baseline and monitor for field changes after releases. A valid object can still be inaccurate if its data becomes stale.