Schema Stopped Working

Troubleshoot why structured data that previously worked is now ignored by generative engines.

Your structured data (JSON-LD, microdata, RDFa) validates correctly and may have worked in the past, but generative AI systems are now ignoring it or not using it for retrieval and citation.

Generative engines may ignore schema when:

• Schema conflicts with actual content
• Schema is too generic or lacks specificity
• Schema noise dilutes confidence signals
• Content structure doesn't match schema claims
• Multiple conflicting schemas exist on the same page

See Canonical Drift and schema noise patterns.

This maps to:

• Schema Noise failure mode
• Signal dilution patterns
• Conflicting entity definitions

1. Validate schema: Check for syntax errors and validation issues
2. Check for conflicts: Multiple schemas on the same page?
3. Verify content alignment: Does schema match actual content?
4. Test specificity: Is schema too generic or vague?
5. Review entity consistency: Are entities defined consistently across pages?

To fix schema issues:

1. Remove conflicting or redundant schemas
2. Ensure schema matches content exactly
3. Use specific, deterministic entity definitions
4. Maintain consistency across pages
5. See GEO signals for schema best practices

This is a failure state within AI Optimization, where systems fail to retrieve or select a source during AI-driven search and answer generation.