Google documents creator for VideoObject structured data

Google updated its video structured data documentation on 24 September 2026. The entry in its documentation updates log says Google “added the creator property (noting support for author)” and updated interactionStatistic to document the interaction types it supports. Nothing about the required properties changed.

What did Google change in the video structured data docs?#

Two things, both in the recommended property table for VideoObject.

creator, or author. The new row describes the person or organization that created or published the video. The expected type is Person or Organization, and it has two subproperties:

• creator.name (or author.name): the name of the creator or organization. Google says that if a person or organization is specified, you must provide either name or alternateName.
• creator.url (or author.url): a link to a page that uniquely identifies the creator, such as a profile page or homepage.

Google’s own example uses a Person with a name and a profile URL, and its full page example uses an Organization.

interactionStatistic. The property was already recommended. What is new is an explicit list of supported interactionType values:

• WatchAction: the number of times the video has been watched.
• LikeAction: the number of likes or upvotes.
• CommentAction: the number of comments.
• ShareAction: the number of reshares.

userInteractionCount is an Integer, the number of times that interaction was performed. The older interactionCount property is still supported, but Google recommends interactionStatistic going forward.

Does this make creator required?#

No. Google lists creator as recommended. The required properties are unchanged: name, thumbnailUrl and uploadDate. Markup that has those three stays eligible, whether or not it names a creator.

What should you do about it?#

Name the creator as an object, not a string. "creator": "Jane Doe" is not what Google documents. Use a Person or Organization with a name, and add a url if a profile or homepage exists. If your CMS already outputs author, you do not need to rename it, since Google supports both.

Check your interaction types. A view count marked as a ViewAction, or any type outside the four above, is not one Google says it supports. Views belong under WatchAction. Keep userInteractionCount a whole number.

Do not invent counts. Google describes these as user statistics “if applicable”. Leave the property out rather than publishing a figure you cannot back up.

Can I test my markup against the new rules?#

Yes. We updated our VideoObject required fields checker the same week. It now accepts creator or author, warns when the value is plain text or has neither name nor alternateName, and checks each interactionStatistic entry for a supported type and an integer count. It runs in your browser, and nothing you paste leaves the page.

Why we care#

This is a documentation change, not a ranking change, and it asks little of anyone. Its value is precision: a named creator and a clear list of interaction types remove two places where video markup was guesswork. Sites that publish video under a real person or brand now have a documented place to say so.