FAQ Schema in 2026: What Changed and What to Do

Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in Search on May 7, 2026. The expandable question-and-answer dropdowns that used to appear under some search listings are gone, and Google’s documentation now says FAQ rich results are no longer appearing. The FAQPage markup itself is still a valid schema.org type, so you do not have to delete it, but you should stop expecting it to produce a visual boost in Google.

What changed

• FAQ rich results ended. As of May 7, 2026, Google no longer displays them. A notice at the top of Google’s FAQ structured data documentation says so.
• Reporting and testing tools are being removed. Reports on the change say Search Console reporting and Rich Results Test support for FAQ were to be removed in June 2026, and Search Console API support in August 2026. Check Google’s documentation for the current status.
• It was a long wind-down. Since August 2023, FAQ rich results had been limited to well-known government and health sites, so most businesses had already lost the feature. HowTo rich results were similarly scaled back in 2023.
• FAQPage is not deprecated as a vocabulary. It is still part of schema.org. Google says unused structured data does not cause problems for Search.

Should you remove your FAQ schema?

You do not have to. Here is how to decide:

Situation	What to do
The markup is accurate and matches a visible FAQ section	Leave it. It does no harm, and other search engines or tools may still read it.
The markup is generated automatically by a plugin or template	Leave it, or turn it off if it is a source of errors or conflicts.
The markup is hand-maintained on many pages	Consider removing it to cut maintenance, or stop adding it to new pages.
The markup does not match what is on the page	Fix or remove it. Structured data should describe visible content.

Whatever you decide, there is no ranking penalty for leaving it in place.

Keep the FAQ content

The rich result is gone, but the questions and answers on the page still have value. They help visitors find answers quickly, they cover the follow-up questions people actually ask, and they give search systems clear, self-contained passages to read. The advice for FAQ sections is the same as before:

• Write real questions that people ask, in their words.
• Put a direct answer first, in one to three sentences, then add detail if needed.
• Keep the answers on the page where visitors can see them. Do not hide FAQ content just for markup.
• Do not repeat the same FAQ block across many pages.
• Update answers when the facts change.

What about AI Overviews and AI search?

Google says its AI features in Search, including AI Overviews and AI Mode, do not need special optimizations or extra markup. The same fundamentals apply: pages should be crawlable and indexable, and the content should be helpful. Some other search engines and tools may still read FAQ markup, but nothing guarantees that any system will quote your answers. Do not add or keep FAQPage schema in the hope of earning an AI citation. Write clear answers because they help readers.

What to use structured data for instead

Spend your effort on markup that is accurate, supported and useful for the page:

• Organization and Person to describe your business and authors consistently.
• Article for posts and guides, with accurate dates and authors.
• Product, LocalBusiness and Event where the page is really about those things.
• BreadcrumbList to show where a page sits in your site.

The Schema Markup Generator builds these types, and it notes where a type no longer produces a Google rich result. For a refresher, read What Is Schema Markup?, and see How to Add JSON-LD to Your Website for the steps.

If you are unsure which of your pages still have FAQ markup, crawl your site with the Page Audit Checker, which lists the schema types it finds on each page. For a review of structured data across a whole site, see our structured data service.

Frequently asked questions

Is FAQ schema dead?

The Google rich result is gone, but FAQPage is still valid schema.org markup. It simply no longer produces FAQ dropdowns in Google Search.

Will leaving FAQ schema on my pages hurt my SEO?

No. Google says unused structured data does not cause problems for Search. Just make sure it matches the content on the page.

Do I still need an FAQ section on my pages?

If it answers real questions your visitors have, yes. FAQ sections help readers and can cover useful long-tail questions. They do not need markup to be valuable.

Can I still test FAQ markup?

Google was removing FAQ support from the Rich Results Test, so use the Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org to check that the markup is valid schema.org.

Does FAQ schema help me appear in AI Overviews?

Google says AI features need no special markup, and there is no guarantee that any markup leads to inclusion. Focus on clear, accurate, helpful answers.

Did other rich results change at the same time?

Google has retired several structured data features in recent years, so it is worth reviewing the current Search gallery before investing in any one type. The general principle holds: structured data describes your content accurately, and a rich result is a possible bonus, not a promise.