FAQ Schema in 2026: Google Retired FAQ Rich Results. Should You Keep the Markup?

• August 8, 2023: Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known, authoritative government and health websites, and began deprecating HowTo rich results.
• September 2023: HowTo rich results were fully retired.
• May 7, 2026: Google stopped showing FAQ rich results.
• June 2026: Google removed the FAQPage structured data documentation; the old page now points to its Search documentation updates log.

Google says no special markup is needed. Its AI features documentation says there is no special schema.org structured data to add for AI Overviews and AI Mode, and its AI optimization guide (May 2026) says structured data is not required for generative AI search.

That does not make FAQ content useless. A page that asks a real question and answers it directly in the first sentence is easy to quote, whether or not it carries markup. Our own pages keep FAQ sections for readers and keep the markup mirrored to them, but we do not expect either to earn a Google feature.

• Leave existing markup alone if it matches your visible content. Google said in 2023 that unused structured data causes no problems.
• Stop adding it for rich results. They are gone.
• Put the effort into the answers. Real questions from sales calls, support tickets and search data, answered plainly, one question per answer.
• Keep the structured data that still does something: Organization, Product and merchant listing markup, breadcrumbs and article markup still feed Google features. See knowledge panels and our ecommerce page.

For the bigger picture of what moves AI answers, see AI search engine optimization.

Does FAQ schema still work?

Not for Google rich results. Google limited FAQ rich results to well-known government and health sites in August 2023, stopped showing them for everyone in May 2026, and removed the documentation in June 2026. The markup itself is valid schema.org and does no harm.

Does FAQ schema help with AI Overviews or ChatGPT?

Google says structured data is not required for its generative AI features and there is no special markup to add. We have seen no primary source from OpenAI saying ChatGPT uses it. What helps is the visible question-and-answer content itself.

Should I remove FAQ schema?

There is no need. Google said in 2023 that unused structured data causes no problems. Keep it if it mirrors your visible FAQ accurately; do not add it expecting a search feature.

Are FAQ sections still worth having?

Yes, when they answer real questions buyers ask. A clear question followed by a direct answer is easy for people to scan and for any search system to use. The value is in the content, not the markup.

• Google Search Central: Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results (August 8, 2023)
• Google Search Central: Search documentation updates (FAQ rich result removal, 2026)
• Google Search Central: AI features and your website
• Google Search Central: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search

Every High Salience engagement starts with the Category Salience Brief: your commercial questions run across Google and the AI surfaces, competitors side by side, and a ranked list of what to fix first.