SEOCode Rules Update v1.3.0

---
title: "SEOCode Rule Engine 1.3.0: AI Mode preferred sources, hasAdultConsideration schema, and third-party tool guidance"
date: 2026-06-09
version: "1.3.0"
slug: "rule-engine-1-3-0"
description: "Version 1.3.0 adds three new rules covering Google's expanded preferred sources feature, the new hasAdultConsideration merchant listing property, and Google's published guidance on evaluating third-party SEO tools."
tags: ["changelog", "rules", "schema", "technical-seo", "ai-overviews", "structured-data"]
---

SEOCode Rule Engine 1.3.0

Version 1.3.0 adds three rules reflecting changes Google published to its Search Central documentation on 2026-06-09, and updates one existing rule with revised references and fix guidance.

---

New Rules

preferred-sources-ai-mode — Preferred sources not configured for AI Mode and AI Overviews

Severity: Info

Google's preferred sources feature, which previously applied only to standard Google Search, now also applies to AI Overviews and AI Mode. Publishers who qualify and have correctly configured preferred sources can receive increased visibility in AI-generated search results.

What the rule checks:
This rule flags pages where identity signals required for preferred sources eligibility are absent or misconfigured. Specifically, it looks for:

• Organization schema with a matching sameAs or url property
• Site name schema (WebSite with a name property)
• Self-referencing canonical URLs

Why it matters:
AI Overviews and AI Mode are now a significant surface in Google Search. Preferred sources is one of the few explicit mechanisms Google offers publishers to influence how their content is attributed in AI-generated answers. If your identity signals are broken or missing, you cannot benefit from this feature even if your site otherwise qualifies.

What to do:
Check that your site has valid Organization and WebSite structured data on your homepage, and that canonical URLs are correctly set across your pages. Then review Google's eligibility requirements for preferred sources (linked in the references below) to confirm your site qualifies.

---

has-adult-consideration-schema — Missing hasAdultConsideration property on adult merchant listings

Severity: Info

Google has added support for the hasAdultConsideration property in merchant listing structured data, aligning it with the existing Merchant Center feed specification.

What the rule checks:
This rule flags Product or Offer structured data on pages that appear to contain adult content but do not include the hasAdultConsideration property.

Why it matters:
Without this property, Google must infer whether a merchant listing contains adult content algorithmically. Incorrect classification can affect where and how your products appear in shopping experiences — either surfacing them in contexts where adult content is filtered out, or failing to apply appropriate filters. Explicit markup removes the ambiguity.

What to do:
If you operate a merchant site with adult product listings, add "hasAdultConsideration": true to the relevant Offer or Product structured data blocks. This is a direct signal to Google rather than leaving classification to inference.

Example:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "Product",
  "name": "Example Product",
  "offers": {
    "@type": "Offer",
    "hasAdultConsideration": true,
    "price": "29.99",
    "priceCurrency": "USD"
  }
}

---

third-party-seo-tools-guidance — Third-party SEO tool recommendations not critically evaluated

Severity: Info

Google has published explicit guidance on how to evaluate recommendations from third-party SEO tools, services, and consultants.

What the rule checks:
This is a process-level rule rather than a markup check. It surfaces as an informational flag when SEOCode detects patterns in your codebase that are commonly associated with outdated or unverified SEO advice — for example, meta tags or structured data patterns that contradict current Google documentation.

Why it matters:
Google's guidance makes four points worth internalizing:

1. SEO tool recommendations do not necessarily reflect Google's actual ranking signals.
2. Many recommendations are based on correlation studies, not confirmed causation.
3. Advice can become outdated as Google's systems evolve.
4. Google Search Console data and official Search Central documentation should be the primary reference for SEO decisions.

This rule exists to prompt a review when your code contains patterns that may have originated from third-party tool output rather than verified guidance.

What to do:
When this rule fires, cross-reference the flagged pattern against the Google Search Central documentation. If the pattern is not supported or recommended there, treat it as unverified. No code change is automatically required — this rule is informational and intended to prompt a review step.

---

Updated Rules

preferred-sources-feature — Missing preferred sources markup or configuration

The existing rule covering preferred sources configuration has been updated with revised references, an updated description, and a new fix template to reflect Google's expansion of the feature to AI Overviews and AI Mode. The underlying check logic is unchanged; the update ensures the guidance surfaced in pull request comments points to current documentation.

What to do:
No action required unless this rule is already firing on your PRs. If it is, the updated fix template provides more accurate remediation steps than the previous version.

---

Sources & References

1. Google Search Central Documentation Changelog

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