This factor reports whether RankGear finds an @type value of HowToTool in a page’s raw HTML — a 1/0 presence signal for JSON-LD that declares a reusable tool required by a documented how-to process. It is a text match on source, not a validation of the structured-data graph, so a 1 confirms the string is present, not that the markup is well-formed.
| Factor ID | RG-SCJ-119 |
|---|---|
| Family | Structured Data – JSON-LD |
| Measurement | Binary presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Raw rendered HTML |
What it measures
RankGear checks whether the page’s raw source declares an @type of HowToTool. In schema.org terms, HowToTool marks up a reusable tool an audience needs to complete a documented process — the kind of item that appears inside HowTo instructions. The factor returns 1 when that type is present in source and 0 when it is not. It is a prioritization signal that relates to structured-data completeness within a measured result set; it does not on its own move a page’s position or guarantee any ranking.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear searches the raw HTML for the @type declaration, allowing flexible whitespace around the value and optionally an explicit schema: prefix. Matching is case-insensitive, so capitalization differences do not affect the result. It is a pattern match against source text rather than a parse of the JSON-LD graph.
What RankGear looks for
"@type": "HowToTool"
"@type" : "schema:HowToTool" (case-insensitive, flexible whitespace)| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | A HowToTool @type string was found in the raw HTML. |
| 0 | No HowToTool @type string was found. |
How to optimize it
Use HowToTool only for a genuine, reusable tool that the documented process actually requires, giving it a clear name and details. Every property should reflect content a user can verify on the page, and the tool should be tied to a real how-to procedure rather than added for its own sake. Because the detector matches source text, do not treat a 1 as proof the markup is correct — read it as an observation that the type is present, then confirm the structured data is valid and content-backed.
Important considerations
- The detector pattern-matches source text instead of validating a JSON-LD graph.
- A matching string that sits outside valid JSON-LD — in a comment, a code sample, or malformed markup — can still produce a 1.
- Capitalization differences do not affect detection, since matching is case-insensitive.
- Validate the complete structured data independently with a schema validator; this factor does not confirm correctness.
- Presence of this type correlates with structured-data completeness within a measured set — it does not cause a ranking or guarantee a position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.