Has MicroData Author is a boolean check for whether a page’s rendered body carries the Microdata attribute itemprop="author". It returns 1 when RankGear finds at least one literal, double-quoted occurrence and 0 otherwise — the check is a text match, not a validation that the authorship markup is correct or eligible for rich results.
| Factor ID | RG-SCM-008 |
|---|---|
| Family | Structured data — Microdata |
| Measurement | Boolean presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Rendered body HTML with scripts removed |
What it measures
Has MicroData Author reports whether RankGear finds the Microdata attribute itemprop="author" in the rendered body after script elements are removed. It is a present-or-absent observation about one specific authorship attribute — not a measure of how many authors are marked up, nor a judgment of whether the surrounding item type or property value is valid.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear performs a case-insensitive search for the literal double-quoted form itemprop="author" in the script-free body. It returns 1 when at least one match exists and 0 otherwise. The match is a plain text search: the attribute name, equals sign, double quotes, and property value must be contiguous, so single quotes or added spacing will not register.
What RankGear looks for
# Case-insensitive text match on the rendered, script-free body
# Any one contiguous, double-quoted hit scores 1
<span itemprop="author">Jane Doe</span>
<a itemprop="author" href="/authors/jane">Jane Doe</a>
# Does NOT match: single quotes or extra spacing
itemprop='author' -> no match
itemprop = "author" -> no match| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | At least one contiguous, double-quoted itemprop="author" was found in the script-free body. |
| 0 | No such match was found — which does not prove the page lacks authorship markup, since single quotes, extra spacing, or JSON-LD authorship would not register here. |
How to optimize it
Use author only as part of the real author or responsible organization for the marked-up work. Keep the markup aligned with visible content and with the vocabulary expected by its parent item type. Treat this factor as an observation of one attribute’s presence rather than a target to game: adding the attribute where there is no genuine author, or where the parent item type does not expect it, invites invalid structured data rather than benefit.
Important considerations
- The detector pattern-matches HTML text instead of parsing or validating a Microdata item graph.
- It requires the attribute name, equals sign, double quotes, and property value to be contiguous; single quotes or added spacing do not match.
- Scripts are removed before matching, and capitalization does not affect detection.
- Validate the parent item type, property value, nesting, and structured-data eligibility independently.
- This is a prioritization signal that relates to patterns within a measured result set, not a cause of ranking; a match neither makes a page rank nor guarantees a position.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.