Article markup for authors, dates, and changes is clearly marked up.
Article markup uniquely attributes the article, author, publication date, and changes. Visible date values and structured data must match.
For SEO teams and developers, "Traceable Authorship" and "Actual Publication Date" are crucial for "Article Markup for Authors and Data." "Artificial Freshness" serves as a cross-check.
Published: 3 min read · Author: Sebastian Geier
How does article markup correctly attribute authors, publication date, and changes?
`datePublished` remains the actual original publication date, while `dateModified` is only updated if there is a relevant editorial change. `author` references a visible person or responsible organization with a stable ID; the heading and main entity correspond to the article.
Actual Publication Date
Back up publication and change history from the editorial system and define criteria for substantial updates.
Build an author register with stable IDs and bind the article template to visible bylines and responsible date fields.
Test rendered markup against the article, history, and author profile, and block build-related date changes.
Working Example: "Artificial Timeliness"
A five-year-old guide is imported into a new CMS and later expanded with a new chapter. The migration preserves the `datePublished` date; only the documented chapter change sets the `dateModified` date. The author ID remains identical across both the old and new templates.
Substantial Change
Control signal
Signal 1
Percentage of published posts with a stable author ID and historically documented original date and, where applicable, modification date.
Control signal
Signal 2
Number of unjustified dateModified changes without a corresponding substantial editorial version in the content history.
Artificial Recency
Artificial Recency – Each deployment run resets dateModified and suggests an editorial review that has not taken place.
Unconnected Author – Name variations create new person entities for each post and lose their role, profile, and responsibility.
Migration Date as Origin – During a CMS migration, old articles receive the import date, and their actual publication history is lost.
Traceable Authorship
Traceable Authorship – Name, role, and profile or editorial responsibility are visible and use the same entity ID across all posts.
Actual Publication Date – The original time is taken from the content history and is not overwritten by migration or page requests.
Substantial Change – A modification date follows a verifiable, professional revision, not just formatting, build, or tracking adjustments.
Which questions about "Article Markup for Authors and Data" trigger further reviews?
Building an entity data model as a common source for websites and profiles answers the next practical question: How does an entity data model become the common source for the website and external profiles?
Managing landing page data with unique IDs and states. Continues this line of thought with another question: Why do landing page data need unique IDs and clearly defined states?
If you want to practically implement "Article Markup for Authors and Data," you can refer to Robust Website Systems This focuses on "Generation, Validation, and Publishing Patterns" and "Verifiable Authorship."
Conclusion: Article Markup for Authors and Data
Authors and data are origin signals, not decoration. Stable identities and a true content history make article markup credible across migrations and updates.
Sources and Further Information
Primary sources define the professional framework for "Article Markup for Authors and Data."
Introduction to structured data markup – Google Search CentralOfficial guide to JSON-LD, dynamic generation, rich results testing, URL inspection, and post-deployment monitoring.
Article Structured Data – Google Search CentralOfficial property and author rules for Articles, News Articles, and Blog Posts, including date and publisher relationships.
Breadcrumb Structured Data – Google Search CentralOfficial Guide to Deriving and Controlling Breadcrumb Lists from a Typical User Hierarchy Instead of Just URL Segments
Key Thesis
The article references a clearly identified authorship entity and provides true publication and modification dates. Changes are dated only when content has been substantially updated.
What This Is Not About
An editor's name, today's date at every build, or an automatically changing modification time does not provide credible origin for an article.
What it's about
The article references an identifiable authorship entity and distinguishes between a true initial publication and a substantial content update.
More insights
Structured data & entity SEO
Clearly link multiple entities on one page
The question "How do you connect multiple entities on a page without creating ambiguous relationships?" should be addressed as a separate test step for "Article Markup for Authors and Data."
Structured data & entity SEO
Maintain organization markup completely with real company data
"Article Markup for Authors and Data" should be supplemented with a separate decision: Which actual company data belongs in a well-maintained organization markup?
Insights Overview
All VELUNO Insights at a Glance
Further analyses on Website Systems, digital visibility, and robust working models.
Substantial change: next robust decision
Ten older articles should be checked against CMS history, visible bylines, and JSON-LD. Import and build timestamps, in particular, quickly reveal whether date fields accurately reflect reality.