Is FAQ markup still worth adding?
Not for Google's search results. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026, and removed the documentation in June. Existing FAQPage markup is harmless if it matches the page; Google has said unused structured data doesn't cause problems. The questions and answers themselves are still worth keeping, written plainly on the page.
The short version
- May 7, 2026: Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in Search.
- June 2026: Google removed the FAQ rich result documentation.
- Before that, since August 2023, FAQ results showed only for well-known government and health sites.
- Existing FAQPage markup isn’t harmful if it’s accurate. You don’t need to rush to remove it.
- Keep good FAQ content on the page. People still read it.
What happened to FAQ rich results?
FAQ rich results were the expandable questions that used to appear under a search result. They went away in two steps, both recorded by Google:
- August 8, 2023. Google’s blog post on HowTo and FAQ changes said FAQ rich results would “only be shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites.” For almost every small business, they disappeared then.
- May 7, 2026. Google’s documentation updates recorded a deprecation notice saying the feature “will no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026.” In June 2026, Google removed the documentation because “the FAQ rich result feature is no longer shown in Google Search results.”
So if someone today offers to add FAQ schema “to get those dropdowns in Google,” that result no longer exists.
What should I do with FAQPage markup I already have?
- Check it matches the page. If the questions and answers in the markup are visible on the page and current, there’s no harm in leaving it. Google said in its 2023 post that “structured data that’s not being used does not cause problems for Search.”
- Remove it if it’s wrong or hidden. Markup for questions that aren’t on the page, or answers that are out of date, breaks Google’s general guidelines whether or not a rich result exists.
- Don’t add new FAQPage markup just for Google. It no longer earns a search feature.
- Leave it to your plugin’s defaults if your SEO plugin’s FAQ block adds it automatically. That’s fine as long as the content is right.
FAQPage remains a valid type on schema.org, so other tools that read structured data may still use it. No company we checked documents a benefit from it for AI answers. Google’s AI optimization guide says “structured data isn’t required for generative AI search.”
Why keep the FAQ content itself?
Because the questions are real, and customers still read the answers. Plain question-and-answer text on a page is also what assistants and search engines quote. The markup was only ever a label for that text. If anything, put the most-asked questions higher on the relevant service page, where a customer and any search tool will find them first. Our guide on which questions deserve their own page helps you decide which ones need more than a short answer.
What are the common mistakes?
- Paying for “FAQ schema” as an SEO service after May 2026.
- Hiding FAQ answers in markup that never appears on the page.
- One giant FAQ stuffed with keyword questions nobody asks.
- The same FAQ block on every page, with identical markup repeated site-wide.
- Confusing FAQPage with QAPage. QAPage is for forums where users submit answers, not for a business’s own FAQ.
What if a tool still reports FAQ errors?
Don’t spend time chasing FAQ warnings in old reports or third-party audit tools: the search feature they were measuring is gone. If the Schema Markup Validator flags a real error in your FAQPage block, fix it or remove the block, because broken markup has no upside. See how to test your schema.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
Nothing to do in most cases. Checking an existing FAQ block against the page takes a few minutes per page.
How does E-3 handle this?
We don’t offer FAQ markup as a way to win a search feature that no longer exists. Any FAQ markup should match the visible page, and FAQ content stays where customers find it useful. Schema work is part of our SEO and AI search service. Site changes are tested on a staging copy first.
Related questions
Sources
- Latest Google Search documentation updates (Google Search Central)
- Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results (Google Search Central Blog, August 8, 2023)
- Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search (Google Search Central)
- General structured data guidelines (Google Search Central)
- FAQPage (schema.org)
Next step
- Next: What is breadcrumb markup, and does a small site need it?The next guide in Schema for owners.
- Free website checkPublic checks on your own site, then an action plan of what to fix first.
Still stuck? Ask E-3 for an answer from our help guides.
Rather we handled schema for owners for you?
It’s part of what we do every week for small businesses, as part of seo and ai search. Start with a free check of your site and profile, or call and ask.