What is Article schema?

Article schema is structured data in a page's code that states plainly what the page is: an article, with a headline, an author, a main image, a published date and a modified date. Search engines can read those facts directly instead of guessing them. It comes in three common types: Article, NewsArticle and BlogPosting.

Why it matters

Structured data helps Google understand a page and may help how the page appears in search features such as Top stories. It does not promise a ranking or a special result. Its practical value is accuracy: the headline, author and dates a search engine sees match what you intended.

How to add it

Pick the type. Use BlogPosting for blog entries, NewsArticle for news reporting and Article for other editorial pieces.
Collect the facts: the headline, a full URL for at least one image, the author name, and the dates of publication and last meaningful update.
Write the JSON-LD block and place it in the page's head or body:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "How to check your robots.txt file",
  "image": ["https://www.example.com/images/robots-check.jpg"],
  "datePublished": "2026-03-04T08:00:00+00:00",
  "dateModified": "2026-06-10T09:30:00+00:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Person",
    "name": "Alex Doe",
    "url": "https://www.example.com/about/alex"
  }
}
</script>

Make sure every value matches the visible page. The headline, author and dates shown to readers should be the same as the ones in the markup.
Test it in the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator, then fix any errors.

Google's article documentation lists no strictly required properties, but it recommends several, including author, headline, image, datePublished and dateModified. Follow the current documentation, because recommendations can change.

Common mistakes

Setting dateModified to today on every page load, which makes the date meaningless.
Naming a company as author when the page shows a named person, or the other way round.
Using an image URL that returns an error or is blocked from crawling.
Using a headline in the markup that differs from the visible heading.
Applying Article markup to a product page or a home page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need Article schema for my blog?

No. It is optional, and pages are indexed without it. It is a way to state facts clearly, not a requirement.

Which date format should I use?

Use ISO 8601, for example 2026-03-04 or 2026-03-04T08:00:00+00:00. Including a time zone offset is recommended when you give a time.

Will Article schema improve my rankings?

Google does not say that it does. Treat it as a clarity measure and judge the page on its content.

To check the structured data on your own site, Try the free website sample.