What is ClaimReview Structured Data? #
- It’s a schema markup format to label fact-check articles reviewing specific claims.
- When implemented, Google can show a rich snippet summary of your fact check in Search results.
- Example: If your page debunks or verifies “The world is flat” claim, Google might display a snippet highlighting your verdict.
Important Update from Google: #
- Google Search is phasing out ClaimReview rich results (meaning it may not show the fact check snippet in search results).
- However, ClaimReview markup is still supported in the Fact Check Explorer tool.
- So, while your pages may not get special rich results on Google Search, marking up fact checks can still help with visibility on other Google platforms.
How to Implement ClaimReview Structured Data #
Required properties: #
- @context: “https://schema.org”
- @type: “ClaimReview”
- claimReviewed: Short, clear summary of the claim (under 75 characters recommended).
- reviewRating: The rating of truthfulness (with numeric and textual assessment).
- url: The URL of the page hosting the fact check article (must match domain or subdomain).
Recommended properties: #
- author: The publisher of the fact check (person or organization).
- itemReviewed: The claim itself (with author, datePublished, appearance URL of claim source).
Rating scheme (numeric and text): #
| Numeric Value | Text Rating |
| 1 | False |
| 2 | Mostly false |
| 3 | Half true |
| 4 | Mostly true |
| 5 | True |
Example snippet: #
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “ClaimReview”,
“url”: “https://example.com/factcheck/worldisflat”,
“claimReviewed”: “The world is flat”,
“itemReviewed”: {
“@type”: “Claim”,
“author”: {
“@type”: “Organization”,
“name”: “Flat Earth Society”,
“sameAs”: “https://flatearth.org”
},
“datePublished”: “2024-06-20”,
“appearance”: {
“@type”: “CreativeWork”,
“url”: “https://example.com/news/flat-earth-claim”,
“headline”: “Flat Earth Theory Explained”,
“datePublished”: “2024-06-18”
}
},
“author”: {
“@type”: “Organization”,
“name”: “Example FactCheck”
},
“reviewRating”: {
“@type”: “Rating”,
“ratingValue”: 1,
“bestRating”: 5,
“worstRating”: 1,
“alternateName”: “False”
}
}
Eligibility & Guidelines #
- Page must have only one ClaimReview element.
- Structured data must match the visible content (no contradictions).
- Fact check must be traceable, transparent, citing sources.
- Site must have multiple fact check pages marked up.
- Political sites and private membership-only fact checks are not eligible.
- Readers must easily identify the claim and check in the article body.
- Claim must be attributed to an external, distinct source.
Testing & Monitoring #
- Use Google Rich Results Test to validate markup.
- Use Google Search Console to monitor structured data health and search performance.
- Fix any critical errors promptly.
- Re-index URLs after updates via Search Console.
Summary #
- ClaimReview markup is still useful for Fact Check Explorer but may no longer show in Google Search rich results.
- Implement only if you produce fact-check content and want to maintain structured data clarity.
- Follow guidelines strictly to avoid manual actions or removal.