What is FAQ schema?

FAQ schema, explained

FAQPage markup wraps each question and its answer in JSON-LD, so machines can read the Q&A structure directly. For years it was a popular trick: add it to any page with questions, and Google would show expandable questions under your result, taking up more space on the page.

That era ended in two steps. In August 2023, Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known, authoritative government and health websites. Then, according to Google's documentation, the FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Google Search starting May 7, 2026, and Google later removed the feature's documentation. So for almost every site, FAQ schema no longer changes how you appear in Google results.

Does that mean you should delete it? Not necessarily. FAQPage is still a valid schema.org type, and valid markup that matches visible content does no harm. Other systems that read structured data may still use it. What changed is the reason to add it: it should describe a real Q&A section that's already useful to readers, not be bolted on for extra SERP space.

The questions themselves still matter a lot. A short, direct answer to a real question is exactly the kind of text that gets pulled into featured snippets, "People also ask" boxes and AI answers. Those features read your visible content; they don't need FAQ markup to do it.

The practical rule: write FAQ sections for readers, based on questions people actually ask. Keep the answers visible in the HTML, not loaded only on click. Add FAQPage markup if your templates already generate it, and don't expect it to change your Google listing.

Why it matters for founders

A lot of SEO advice online still promises FAQ rich results. Knowing they're gone saves you from spending time on markup for a feature Google no longer shows, and points you at what still works: clear answers in the page itself.

Example

A pricing page has five real questions about refunds and limits, answered in the page. It keeps its FAQPage JSON-LD because the template already outputs it, but the team measures success by whether those answers get quoted, not by rich results.

Common mistakes

• Adding FAQ schema to every page expecting expanded results in Google.
• Marking up questions that aren't visible on the page.
• Writing filler questions just to have an FAQ section.
• Hiding answers behind JavaScript so they're not in the HTML.