On September 14, 2024, I received an error notification from Google Search Console titled, “New Discussion forum structured data issues detected for…” on my education blog. The blog was barely three months old.
Google specifically pointed out two Discussion Forum structured data issues:
The “Comment” object must be nested inside a “CreativeWork” object.
The “author” field is missing the “url” attribute.
A WordPress expert, David of GeneratePress Theme, mentioned that these errors might not affect search results’ rich snippets, as Discussion Forum structured data issues are “currently suggested improvements from Google.”
How the Issue Started
Initially, I built the site with the Kadence Theme, but two months later, I switched to the GeneratePress Theme. To my surprise, Google flagged 50 pages with “CreativeWork” and missing “url” errors in the Console, which Google Search Central addresses in its documentation here.
I searched the internet but couldn’t find a solution outside of webmasters’ discussions. However, I discovered that the error was specific to the theme I had switched to.
This isn’t to imply anything negative about the GeneratePress Theme. In fact, I’ve used it on several blogs in the past without encountering this issue. However, I was surprised that the problem arose immediately after switching my new site to GeneratePress.
I attempted to fix the errors and validated them through Google Console, but the issues reappeared. Google responded with, “Some fixes failed for Discussion forum structured data issues on site…”
How I Fixed It
It’s often recommended to switch themes or temporarily deactivate plugins to resolve such issues. In my case, I didn’t deactivate any plugins. Here’s what I did instead:
I switched from GeneratePress to Astra Theme.
Cleaned up the cache on my WordPress dashboard.
Headed to Google Search Console.
Clicked on the notification button to access my messages in the Console.
Clicked on “View issue details.”
Finally, clicked on the “Validation” button.
Within 24 hours, I received another notification stating that the issue was resolved: “50 pages on your site were validated as fixed.”
My Observation
For the record, both GeneratePress and Astra are among the lightest and fastest WordPress themes available. I’ve been using one or the other for more than six years without major issues.
I also believe GeneratePress support is aware of this particular error. Ying, a GeneratePress support staff member, suggested on their support page that users try switching themes as a test. The team did promise to make “the necessary changes in the next main release” of their theme, but I was uncomfortable seeing the error pop up repeatedly.
If you notice a similar issue on your site, switching themes might fix it, even though these errors are described as “suggestions for improvement” that do not prevent your page or feature from appearing on Google.
However, if you’re worried that the Discussion Forum structured data issue could affect your search appearance or be reclassified as critical in the future, now is the time to fix it.