2026 Guide
9 min read
For years, adding FAQ schema was standard SEO advice: mark up a few questions and your search result could expand with dropdown answers, taking up more space on the page. Many websites, plugins and agencies still add it by default. But Google has now switched the feature off completely, and that changes what FAQ schema is worth.
For Google, no. As of 7 May 2026, Google no longer shows FAQ rich results for any website, and it removed its FAQ structured data documentation in June 2026. FAQ schema won’t create expandable answers in Google results, and Google says no special schema is needed for AI Overviews. You don’t have to remove existing FAQ markup, but there’s no reason to add it for Google. FAQ sections themselves can still help readers when they answer real questions.
This guide covers what FAQ schema was, the full timeline of how Google phased it out, whether you should remove existing markup, what it means for AI search, and which structured data is still worth adding.
What Is FAQ Schema?
FAQ schema is structured data, usually written in JSON-LD, using the schema.org FAQPage type. It labels the questions and answers on a page so search engines can read them as question-and-answer pairs. In Google, eligible pages could appear as a “FAQ rich result,” with questions that expanded to show answers directly in the search results.
That extra space in the results is what made it popular, and why it was widely overused, including on pages where the “FAQs” weren’t questions anyone actually asked.
What Changed: The Timeline
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 7 May 2026 | FAQ rich results stop appearing in Google Search for all sites |
| 8 May 2026 | Google adds a deprecation notice to its FAQ documentation |
| 15 June 2026 | Google removes the FAQ rich result documentation |
| June 2026 | FAQ search appearance, Search Console report and Rich Results Test support removed (as reported) |
| August 2026 | FAQ support ends in the Search Console API (as reported) |
| September 2023 | HowTo rich results removed from desktop, completing their removal (as reported) |
| August 2023 | FAQ rich results limited to well-known government and health websites; HowTo removed on mobile |
The May and June 2026 entries are recorded in Google’s Search Central documentation updates, which state that the feature “will no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026” and later that “the FAQ rich result feature is no longer shown in Google Search results.” The Search Console and API dates come from Google’s notice as reported by PPC Land, along with the 2023 history; Google announced the 2023 restriction in its post “Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results”.
Should You Remove Existing FAQ Schema?
You don’t have to. According to reporting on Google’s updated documentation, site owners may remove FAQ structured data but aren’t required to, and leaving it in place causes no Search Console errors and doesn’t affect Google rankings. Other search engines may still read it.
| Your Situation | Suggested Action |
|---|---|
| FAQ markup matches real, visible FAQs on the page | Leave it, or remove it during your next site cleanup. Low priority either way. |
| Markup describes questions that aren’t visible on the page | Remove it. Google’s structured data guidelines say not to mark up content readers can’t see. |
| A plugin adds FAQ schema to every page automatically | Switch it off for new pages; it adds code without a Google benefit. |
| You’re paying for “FAQ schema” as a service | Ask what it now achieves. For Google, the visual benefit no longer exists. |
Whatever you decide, Google’s general structured data guidelines still apply to any markup on your site: it must describe content users can see, be a true representation of the page, and never mislead users. Spammy structured data can lead to a manual action that removes rich result eligibility.
Does FAQ Schema Help With AI Overviews?
Some “AEO” and “GEO” advice recommends FAQ schema to get cited in AI answers. Google’s own guidance doesn’t support that for Google Search. Its May 2026 guide to optimizing for generative AI features says structured data isn’t required for generative AI search and “there’s no special schema.org markup you need to add.”
Google’s FAQ deprecation notice itself doesn’t comment on AI features, so you’ll still see claims both ways online. The safest reading of Google’s official documentation: AI Overviews draw on Google’s core ranking systems and the content on the page, not on special markup.
Are FAQ Sections Still Worth Writing?
Yes, when they serve readers. The rich result is gone, but a well-written FAQ section still helps people find answers quickly, and its text is ordinary page content Google can read and use like any other.
A useful FAQ
Questions taken from Search Console queries, customer calls and sales conversations, each with a complete, specific answer that the rest of the page doesn’t already cover.
A padded FAQ
Questions invented to repeat a keyword (“What is the best SEO company in Lahore?”), one-line answers, or the same five questions copied onto every service page.
For more on choosing the right sections for a page, see our guide on how to write SEO content in 2026.
Which Structured Data Is Still Worth Adding?
Structured data in general still matters. Google’s AI guide recommends continuing to use it as part of your SEO strategy because it helps pages become eligible for rich results. Google’s structured data documentation still includes feature guides for types such as:
- Organization: logo and business details for your brand
- Local business: business details for local search
- Article: for blog posts and news, including dates and authors
- Breadcrumb: shows where a page sits in your site
- Product, review snippet and merchant listing: for online stores
- Event, recipe, video and others: where your content genuinely fits the type
Google’s guidelines also stress that valid markup makes a page eligible for a rich result but doesn’t guarantee one. Add only types your visible content truly matches, and validate them with Google’s Rich Results Test. For the bigger technical picture, see on-page vs off-page vs technical SEO.
Common FAQ Schema Mistakes
- Still adding FAQ schema to win rich results that Google no longer shows
- Following outdated advice that FAQ results are limited to government and health sites
- Marking up questions that aren’t visible on the page
- Writing fake FAQs just to repeat keywords
- Buying FAQ schema as an “AI SEO” tactic without checking Google’s guidance
- Deleting useful FAQ sections along with the markup, when readers still need the answers
- Ignoring structured data that still works, such as Organization, LocalBusiness and Product
Not Sure What Your Site’s Structured Data Is Doing?
Serpistan reviews your schema against Google’s current documentation, removes what no longer helps, and adds the markup your pages are actually eligible for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Google still show FAQ rich results?
No. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results for all sites on 7 May 2026, including the government and health sites that kept them after 2023.
Will FAQ schema hurt my rankings?
Reporting on Google’s documentation says leaving it in place doesn’t affect rankings or cause Search Console errors. Markup that describes hidden or misleading content is a separate problem under Google’s structured data guidelines.
Should I remove FAQ schema from my website?
It’s optional. Remove it if it describes content that isn’t visible or if you’re cleaning up your code. Otherwise it’s a low priority.
Does FAQ schema help with AI Overviews or ChatGPT?
Google says no special schema is needed for its AI features. Other AI platforms haven’t all published their position, so claims about them are unverified.
What about HowTo schema?
Google removed HowTo rich results in 2023. Step-by-step content still helps readers; the special search display is gone.
Should I still include FAQ sections on my pages?
Yes, if they answer real questions your customers ask. Their value is now entirely in helping readers, which is where it should have been all along.
Sources / References
- Google Search Central, “Documentation updates” (entries for 8 May and 15 June 2026)
- Google Search Central, “General structured data guidelines”
- Google Search Central, “Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search”
- Google Search Central Blog, “Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results” (August 2023)
- PPC Land, “Google kills FAQ rich results” (industry report)