Google has officially deprecated FAQ rich results and removed their support from the Rich Results Test and Search Console reporting. For many SEO professionals and business owners who relied on FAQ snippets to occupy more real estate in search results, this update raises legitimate questions. Should you remove FAQ schema? Does structured data still matter? What should you focus on instead?
This blog answers all of those questions directly.
What the Rich Results Test Does and Why It Matters
The Rich Results Test in Google Search Console lets website owners validate whether their structured data is correctly implemented and eligible for enhanced search listings. It has been a staple of technical SEO for years, helping developers catch schema errors before they affect live pages.
Rich results have long included a wide range of formats: product information, review ratings, recipes, article enhancements, breadcrumbs, how-to guides, and FAQs. Each format gave websites a way to stand out visually in search results and improve click-through rates.
FAQ schema became one of the most aggressively used formats precisely because it worked. A single FAQ block could expand a search listing into multiple question-answer rows below the main result, taking up significantly more page space and pushing competitors down the page. That advantage attracted overuse.
What Actually Changed with FAQ Rich Results
Google began limiting FAQ rich results in 2023, initially restricting expanded snippets primarily to authoritative government and health websites. That was a warning signal. The current update goes further.
According to Google's official structured data documentation, FAQ rich results are no longer broadly supported in Google Search. The FAQ enhancement reporting inside Search Console is being phased out, FAQ detection within the Rich Results Test tool is being removed, and related API support is being discontinued through 2026.
In short: even if your FAQ schema is technically correct, Google will not display it as an expanded snippet in most search results. The reporting infrastructure that told you whether it was working is also going away.
Why Google Made This Change
The pattern that led to this decision is worth understanding. FAQ schema was designed to help users find answers quickly. Instead, it became a tool for visual dominance in search - websites adding FAQ sections not because users needed them but because they made the listing larger and harder to overlook.
Common problems Google likely identified: repetitive questions that added no new information, keyword-stuffed answers, FAQ sections on pages where questions weren't genuinely relevant, and an overall cluttering of search results that made them less useful.
Should You Remove FAQ Schema?
The short answer is: No, you do not need to remove existing FAQ schema. While Google will not display it as a rich result snippet in the search engine results pages (SERPs), there is no penalty for keeping it on your page.
More importantly, structured data is not just for Google anymore. AI search systems, like AI Overviews, Perplexity, and other LLM-based answer engines, actively parse structured JSON-LD data to build conversational answers and assign citations. Leaving your FAQ schema intact helps these engines understand your content structure and retrieve correct information.
What to Focus on Instead
With FAQ rich results gone, SEOs should redirect their optimization efforts toward more impactful structured data types and content standards:
- Article and BlogPosting Schema: Ensure every article has complete schema defining the headline, author, publisher, and publishing dates.
- Organization and Local Business Schema: Help search engines link your brand identity across social channels and directories.
- Product and Review Schema: Review stars and price drops are highly visible and still supported rich results.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Optimize for direct, clear answers in natural language that AI engines favor for citations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will Google penalize websites that keep FAQ schema?
A: No, there is no penalty. Google simply ignores the schema for rich snippet display purposes.
Q: Should I write new FAQ schema for new pages?
A: It is no longer a high-priority SEO task for Google. However, using clear question-and-answer formats in HTML is still great for users and AI search engines.
Q: Does the Rich Results Test still support other schema types?
A: Yes, it continues to support products, articles, software apps, courses, and other structured data types.