Article schema missing image: what it is, why it matters, and how to fix it

The Article structured data does not include an image property. Google recommends including images for Article rich results, especially for Top Stories and Discover eligibility.

Articles with images in structured data are eligible for larger, more prominent rich results including Top Stories carousels and Google Discover. Without an image, articles receive standard text-only listings that are less visually appealing and receive fewer clicks.

Add an image property to your Article schema. Google recommends images at least 1200 pixels wide. Include multiple images in different aspect ratios for maximum compatibility.

This is a medium-severity issue: individually modest, but it compounds — dozens of medium issues across hundreds of pages add up to a real quality deficit in how search engines assess the site. It belongs to the structured_data family of checks.

Run a free Dr Urls audit: it crawls your site, detects article schema missing image on every affected page, shows example URLs, and generates a ready-to-use fix task. Re-scan after fixing to verify the issue is gone.