Schema Markup for a Dataset Page

If you publish data on your website and want it to appear in Google Dataset Search, adding Dataset schema markup is the best way to do it. It helps search engines understand, index, and surface your datasets to researchers and users looking for data.

The Schema Pro plugin adds Dataset schema markup to your page or post. Let’s see how to add it in easy steps.

How to Add the Dataset Schema Markup?

Step 1. Create a new Schema markup by going to the Schema Pro option under WordPress Dashboard > Settings > Schema Pro. Click on “Add New”.

Step 2. Select the type of schema as “Dataset”.

Step 3. Select the pages/posts that you want to apply this markup to. You can add display rules and also exclude pages and posts you want to exempt this schema from.

Step 4. You can then complete the setup. From here you will be taken to fill the required properties of the schema.

Step 5. In Schema Settings, you will see various fields related to Dataset schema. These fields help you enter details about your dataset. We recommend you make sure that all schema fields are set to the right values.

What Do These Fields Mean?

Let’s look at what all the Dataset schema fields mean so that you can fill in the correct values.

In the following table:

• Asterisk sign (*) indicates required fields. These fields are required by Google and if not filled out will result in an error in the Rich Snippets Test.
• Caret sign (^) indicates recommended fields. These fields are recommended to ensure maximum utilization of the SEO benefits of Schema Pro.

Fields	What They Mean
Name *	A descriptive name for the dataset. You can map this to the page title or a custom field.
Description *	A short summary describing the dataset. Google recommends 50–5000 characters.
URL ^	The URL of the page that describes the dataset.
Same As ^	A URL pointing to a canonical reference for the dataset, such as an official repository.
Keywords ^	Keywords that summarize the dataset, separated by commas.
License ^	URL pointing to the license under which the dataset is distributed.
Creator ^	The person or organization who created the dataset.
Funder ^	A person or organization that supports the dataset through funding.
Version ^	The version number or identifier for this dataset.
Is Accessible For Free ^	Set to true if the dataset is freely accessible; false if it is behind a paywall.
Temporal Coverage ^	The time period the data in the dataset covers, e.g. “2020/2023”.
Spatial Coverage ^	The geographic area that the data in the dataset covers.
Measurement Technique ^	The technique or methodology used to collect the data.
Variable Measured ^	The variable(s) being measured in the dataset, e.g. “Temperature” or “Population”.
Identifier ^	A unique identifier for the dataset such as a DOI or Compact Identifier.
Distribution – Download URL ^	The URL where the dataset file can be downloaded.
Distribution – Encoding Format ^	The file format of the download, e.g. “text/csv” or “application/json”.

Configure Schema on a Single Page/Post

Once you fill the above schema fields, the values will be applied to all target locations. These values are common for all target locations.

But in case you wish to alter these values for a particular page/post, you can also find all the schema fields on each of the targeted pages/posts.

If you visit a single page/post you can see all Dataset schema fields at the bottom. By default, all fields will fetch values from the schema under Settings > Schema Pro > Dataset, but you can also change this and choose other values from the list or set the values manually.

Test Your Schema

Once you are done adding schema markup, test it to see if it is set up correctly.

Testing can be done with just a single click using the “Test Schema” button on the admin bar.

OR

You can manually visit the Rich Results Test tool or the Schema Markup Validator and insert your page URL.

How to Handle Errors & Warnings in a Testing Tool?

When you test your page/post with the Rich Results Test tool, you might see some errors or warnings come up. Here are the most common ones:

• Missing required field: Make sure both the Name and Description fields are mapped. These are the only required properties for Dataset schema.
• Description too short or too long: Google recommends keeping descriptions between 50 and 5000 characters.
• Invalid URL format: Ensure any URL fields (License, Same As, Distribution Download URL) contain valid, fully-formed URLs beginning with https://.
• Schema not appearing: Confirm the schema location rules match the page you are testing and that the page has been saved after making changes.

If you encounter other issues, contact our support team.