Dublin Core Validator
Check DC and DCTERMS metadata in a page, including the prefix declarations most pages forget.
DC-HTML has no built-in prefixes: a meta tag named DC.title means nothing until a link with rel=schema.DC declares what DC stands for, and pages copy the meta tags while leaving the link behind. Every element is optional and repeatable, so the score here is coverage of the fifteen-element set rather than a pass or a fail.
Based on: DCMI Metadata Terms · DCMI — Expressing Dublin Core in HTML/XHTML meta and link elements
About this validation
Checks DC and DCTERMS metadata in a page against DCMI Metadata Terms and the DC-HTML profile, including the prefix declarations DC-HTML requires -- there are no built-in prefixes, so an undeclared DC. name resolves to no property. Every element is optional and repeatable, so the score is coverage rather than conformance.
- Protocol / standard:
- Rules reviewed:
- Nov 15, 2026
SEOTechTests methodology: Reads DC and DCTERMS meta tags and the schema.* link elements that declare their prefixes, then checks each term against DCMI Metadata Terms, each declared namespace against DCMI's own URIs, and date-valued terms against ISO 8601. Coverage of the fifteen-element set is reported as coverage, since DCMI makes every element optional and repeatable.
Standards and vendor-documented behavior can change. This reflects the source as last reviewed above, not a permanent guarantee.
FAQ
Why does my Dublin Core markup resolve to nothing?
Almost always the prefix. DC-HTML states there are no built-in prefix declarations, so <meta name="DC.title"> means nothing until the page declares <link rel="schema.DC" href="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">. Pages copy the meta tags and leave the link behind.[2]
Should I use DC. or DCTERMS.?
DCMI supports the original fifteen-element namespace indefinitely but encourages the /terms/ namespace for new work: those properties are refinements of the originals and carry formal ranges. Both are accepted here.[1]
Is any Dublin Core element required?
No. Every element is optional and repeatable by design, which is why this tool scores coverage rather than pass or fail. A page carrying four of the fifteen is not wrong; it is less described than one carrying twelve.[1]