On September 24, 2026, Google updated its VideoObject documentation to cover creator, note support for author, and clarify supported interaction types in interactionStatistic. For brands publishing product videos, the useful response is to describe the video’s origin and the evidence actually available. The official update log explains the change.
This documents supported properties. It does not announce a guaranteed ranking improvement. A video must still meet indexing requirements and the general structured data guidelines.
Attribute the creator to a real entity
creator or author can identify a person or an organization. The video documentation requires a name or alternative name when that entity is supplied. A relevant profile or page URL can help identify it.
Google allows the person or organization that created or published the video. Establish the entity’s actual role and agreed attribution before filling the field; publishing a video does not mean producing it. If the attribution is not established, do not invent an author or a credential simply to complete the markup.
Interaction counts need a defined source
Google documents actions including watching, liking, commenting and sharing. The count must match the declared action. Views are not purchases, and a comment count is not a verified product rating.
| Available measure | Required evidence check |
|---|---|
| Watch count | Counter source and matching video |
| Likes | Declared action and measurement scope |
| Comments | Actual counter, without calling all comments validated reviews |
| Shares | Meaning of the source platform’s counter |
The structure uses InteractionCounter with interactionType and userInteractionCount. Documented types include WatchAction, LikeAction, CommentAction and ShareAction. If a reliable counter is unavailable, omit the recommended property rather than invent a number or copy one from an example.
Validate the visible video as well as its data
Pick a video that actually appears on the page. Check its title, thumbnail, access and upload date. Compare its structured data with that same asset and the required VideoObject properties.
An accessible thumbnail does not prove the video plays. Recognized markup does not establish indexing. Keep player behavior, data validation and observed indexing outcomes as separate checks in the review.
For a product demonstration, also verify the variant and usage limitations shown. That editorial step prevents a characteristic demonstrated on one model from becoming a promise about the entire range.
Keep the scope of the evidence intact
Retain the counter’s source and retrieval date in the working record. If the same video appears on several platforms, do not merge their numbers without a method for reconciling scope and duplicates.
The VerityScore guide to Google’s AI visibility recommendations explains the wider catalog context. For videos, the priority is an accurate attribution, genuine counters and a description matching the visible content. Markup should make those facts interpretable without turning them into claims they cannot support.