Does FAQ schema still work?

FAQ schema no longer works in Google Search: the FAQ rich result it used to trigger has been switched off for all sites since 7 May 2026. It was one of the visual extras covered in our guide to Google SERP features, and it is now gone. Here’s what changed, what the markup still is, and what Google does and doesn’t say about keeping it.

What FAQ schema is

FAQ schema is structured data, usually JSON-LD, that labels the questions and answers on a page. The type comes from schema.org, which defines it like this: “A FAQPage is a WebPage presenting one or more “Frequently asked questions” (see also QAPage).” Each question is a Question, and its answer sits in the acceptedAnswer property.

Google used this markup for one visible feature: the FAQ rich result, which showed a page’s questions with its listing in Search. Google’s 2023 post describes it as “FAQ (from FAQPage structured data) rich results.”

What Google changed, and when

The feature went away in two steps. Google’s own pages give the dates:

The old FAQPage guide on Search Central now redirects to the 15 June changelog entry. We found no separate blog post about the 2026 change; the changelog is where Google announced it.

Who still gets FAQ rich results?

Nobody. The 2023 rule that kept them for government and health sites was a halfway step, and it no longer applies. FAQ is also missing from Google’s current list of supported structured data features in the search gallery, which still lists Q&A (QAPage) for pages with one question and its answers.

That’s why a lot of advice on this topic reads oddly now. In our DataForSEO SERP check for “faq schema” (google.com, US, 4 Nov 2026), at least two of the top 10 results still promised rich results from FAQ markup.

A minimal FAQPage example

Google’s own example went with its documentation, so this one follows the schema.org vocabulary. It is not a Google requirement, and we don’t use it on this page.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "Does FAQ schema still work?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "Not for rich results in Google Search."
    }
  }]
}
</script>

Is it still worth adding?

For Google Search, there is no visible payoff. When Google first cut the feature back in 2023, it said unused structured data “does not cause problems for Search, but also has no visible effects in Google Search.” It also said “there’s no need to proactively remove it.” We found nothing newer that changes that, so existing markup can stay or go.

What about AI Overviews and AI Mode?

Plenty of pages now pitch FAQ schema as an AI search tactic. Google doesn’t back that up. Its AI features page says “There’s also no special schema.org structured data that you need to add.” Its generative AI optimization guide says “Structured data isn’t required for generative AI search.”

That same guide does say structured data is worth keeping, but the reason it gives is that it helps with being eligible for rich results. FAQ markup no longer has a rich result to be eligible for. We only checked Google’s documentation, so we make no claim either way about other search engines or AI tools.

FAQ schema vs People Also Ask

These get mixed up a lot. There is no People Also Ask markup, and FAQ schema was never a way into that box. It drove a separate feature on your own result, and that feature is the one that has gone. If PAA is the goal, see our page on how to rank in people also ask. FAQ schema is a separate thing from featured snippets as well.

The visible FAQ section is still useful, because readers use it. If you’re writing one, the questions people actually search for are a good place to start. PAA Box, our Chrome extension, opens the People Also Ask questions for a search and exports them to CSV. Our page on using PAA questions as headings covers how to write them up. For the page as a whole, see how to write an FAQ page.

How to test FAQ markup now

The usual Google tools no longer help here. The Rich Results Test help page lists the types it supports, and FAQ is not one of them. The Search Console rich result report list has no FAQ report either.

If you keep the markup and want to check the syntax, the Schema Markup Validator reads any schema.org type. It checks the code, not whether Google will show anything.

Mistakes to avoid if you keep it

Google removed its FAQ-specific guidelines along with the page. Its general structured data guidelines still apply to everything you mark up:

• Hidden content. “Don’t mark up content that is not visible to readers of the page.” Every question and answer in the markup should be on the page.
• Markup that doesn’t match. “Your structured data must be a true representation of the page content.”
• Expecting a result. Even for supported types, “Google does not guarantee that your structured data will show up in search results.” For FAQ, there is no result left to show.
• Paying for it. A plugin or service that sells FAQ schema as a route to Google rich results is selling a feature Google has retired.