You know those search results that look... different? The ones with star ratings, prices, FAQ dropdowns, or recipe cooking times? Those aren't accidents. They're rich results, and there's a free tool that tells you exactly how to get them.

Meet the Google Rich Results Test—a tool I wish I'd discovered years ago.

What Are Rich Results, Anyway?

Before we dive into the tool, let's talk about what we're chasing here.

Regular search results are boring. Blue link, title, description. That's it.

Rich results are the show-offs of the search page. They include extra information that makes them pop:

  • ⭐ Star ratings on product reviews
  • 💰 Prices for products
  • ❓ FAQ dropdowns that expand right in the search results
  • 🍳 Cooking times and calorie counts for recipes
  • 📅 Event dates and locations
  • 🎬 Video thumbnails with duration

These enhanced listings grab attention. They take up more space. They get more clicks.

And the best part? Google tells you exactly how to get them—if you know where to look.

Enter the Rich Results Test

The Rich Results Test is Google's official tool for checking whether your page is eligible for these fancy search listings.

It does three things:

  1. Validates your structured data - Is your code correct?
  2. Shows what's missing - What could make it better?
  3. Previews your result - How might it actually look in search?

Think of it as a dress rehearsal for your search appearance.

How to Use It (Two Ways)

Option 1: Test a Live URL

This is the most accurate method. Paste your published page URL, and Google's actual crawler fetches and renders it—including any JavaScript-loaded content.

https://search.google.com/test/rich-results?url=https://yourdomain.com/your-page

When to use this:

  • Testing pages that are already live
  • Verifying that your production site works correctly
  • Checking competitor pages (yes, you can spy on their schema!)

Option 2: Test a Code Snippet

Paste raw HTML or JSON-LD code directly into the tool. Perfect for testing before you deploy.

When to use this:

  • Developing new structured data
  • Testing changes before pushing to production
  • Learning how schema markup works

Reading the Results

The tool gives you one of three verdicts:

✅ Green: Valid

Your page is eligible for rich results. The structured data is correct, and all required fields are present.

What this means: You've done the hard part. Now it's up to Google's algorithm to decide when to show the rich result.

⚠️ Yellow: Warnings

The markup is technically valid, but you're missing "recommended" fields that would make your result richer.

Example: A recipe might be valid but missing nutrition information or prep time. Adding these won't break anything—but including them gives users more information and makes your result more compelling.

My advice: Fix these when you can. They're not blocking you, but they're leaving value on the table.

❌ Red: Errors

Something is broken. Required fields are missing or the syntax is wrong. Google won't show a rich result until you fix these.

Common causes:

  • Missing required properties (like name or description)
  • Incorrect data types (string where number expected)
  • Malformed JSON (missing comma, extra bracket)
  • Schema type doesn't match content

Fix these first. Yellow warnings can wait; red errors cannot.

The Preview Feature

Here's my favorite part: click "Preview Results" to see a visual mockup of how your page might appear in Google Search.

I say "might" because Google doesn't guarantee they'll show rich results—even if your markup is perfect. But the preview gives you a good idea of what's possible.

It's incredibly satisfying to see your star ratings and FAQ dropdowns rendered in that familiar Google search interface.

When Should You Use This Tool?

During Development

Before you ship new structured data, test it. It takes 30 seconds and catches embarrassing errors before they go live.

// Test this before deploying
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "What is structured data?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "Structured data is code that helps search engines understand your content."
    }
  }]
}

After Content Updates

Added new products? Updated your FAQ? Changed your business hours? Run the test to make sure Google can still read your data.

I've seen sites lose their rich results after a "simple" CMS update broke their schema. Don't let that be you.

When Troubleshooting

Your star ratings suddenly disappeared from search results? Something changed. The Rich Results Test will show you exactly what's wrong—or confirm that your markup is fine and the issue is on Google's end.

For Competitive Research

Here's a sneaky trick: paste your competitor's URL into the tool.

You'll see exactly what structured data they're using. If they have FAQ dropdowns and you don't, now you know why—and you can implement the same schema on your own pages.

No more wondering "how did they get that?" Just paste their URL and find out.

Best Practices

Fix Errors Before Warnings

Prioritize red over yellow. Errors block you from eligibility entirely. Warnings just mean you're leaving some enhancement on the table.

Never Fake the Data

This is important: your structured data must describe content that's actually visible on the page.

Don't claim you have 5-star reviews if there are no reviews on the page. Don't add FAQ schema for questions that aren't answered in your content. Google considers this "spammy markup" and may penalize your site.

The rule is simple: if users can't see it, don't mark it up.

Use JSON-LD

Google supports three formats for structured data:

  • JSON-LD
  • Microdata
  • RDFa

Google officially recommends JSON-LD. It's easier to maintain, less likely to break during design changes, and can be added without touching your HTML structure.

<!-- JSON-LD: Clean and separate from your HTML -->
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Your Article Title"
}
</script>

Combine With Search Console

The Rich Results Test checks one page at a time. For site-wide monitoring, use the Enhancements report in Google Search Console.

It tracks structured data errors across your entire site and alerts you when something breaks. Think of it as the difference between a spot check and continuous monitoring.

The Eligibility Reality Check

Here's the truth that Google buries in the fine print:

Passing the test doesn't guarantee you'll get rich results.

The test confirms you're eligible. Google's algorithm decides whether to actually show the enhanced listing based on:

  • The user's query
  • Your page's overall quality
  • Competition for that search term
  • Whether the rich result is actually useful for that search

I've seen pages with perfect structured data that never get rich results, and pages with minimal markup that show up beautifully.

The test is necessary but not sufficient. Do the work, pass the test, then let Google decide.

A Quick Example

Let's say you run a recipe blog and want those fancy recipe cards in search results.

Step 1: Add Recipe schema to your page:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Recipe",
  "name": "Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies",
  "author": {"@type": "Person", "name": "Jon Muller"},
  "datePublished": "2025-12-22",
  "description": "Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies",
  "prepTime": "PT15M",
  "cookTime": "PT12M",
  "totalTime": "PT27M",
  "recipeYield": "24 cookies",
  "recipeIngredient": [
    "2 cups flour",
    "1 cup butter",
    "1 cup chocolate chips"
  ],
  "recipeInstructions": [
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Preheat oven to 375°F"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Mix ingredients"},
    {"@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Bake for 12 minutes"}
  ]
}

Step 2: Run it through the Rich Results Test

Step 3: Fix any errors, address warnings if you want (maybe add nutrition info)

Step 4: Deploy and wait for Google to crawl

Step 5: Check Search Console's Enhancements report after a few days

Try It Now

Seriously, go test one of your pages right now:

👉 https://search.google.com/test/rich-results

Paste a URL. See what happens. You might be surprised—either by how close you are to rich results, or by errors you didn't know existed.

It's free, it takes 30 seconds, and it might just change how your site appears in search.

Related Reading

Want to implement the structured data that makes rich results possible?

This post is part of the Web Optimization series. Rich results are just one piece of the puzzle—but they're a pretty satisfying piece to get right.