Entry AYKA-E-0011 · Fact
Structured data must describe what visitors can see
Google's structured data guidelines say markup must represent the visible content of the page; marking up content that is not shown to visitors is against the guidelines. Structured data that violates them can lead to a manual action, and the page loses its rich results.
Key facts
| Rule | markup = visible content |
|---|---|
| Example of a violation | star ratings in the code that no visitor sees |
| Consequence | manual action, loss of rich results |
What to do
Compare your markup with the page: every rating, price and fact in the code should be on the page too.
Source
Google Search Central: structured data general guidelines · checked 2026-11-04
How to cite this entry
AYKA Technologies, “Structured data must describe what visitors can see”, entry AYKA-E-0011, getayka.com, updated 2026-11-04. https://getayka.com/entries/structured-data-matches-page/
Related entries
- One text page per product, with price and availability (AYKA-E-0010)
- Why reviews on your own site show no stars in Google (AYKA-E-0012)
- Hidden text written for AI is spam under Google's rules (AYKA-E-0008)
Markdown version · Updated 2026-11-04