Short answer: Mostly no, if you wanted FAQ rich results: Google stopped showing them in Search on May 7, 2026, so adding FAQPage markup will not earn expandable answers.
It is still harmless and slightly useful if your page really does carry visible questions and answers, because it restates that content in a form machines can parse. Whether any given AI answer engine reads it is not documented by the engines, so treat it as low-cost hygiene rather than a ranking tactic, and never add a FAQ block to a page just to hang markup on it.
What exactly did Google change?
FAQ rich results were the expandable question-and-answer dropdowns under a search listing. They were restricted to well-known government and health sites in September 2023. Google then put a deprecation notice in its Search Central updates log, dated May 8, 2026, saying they no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026. The FAQ documentation page was removed in June 2026.
The date from which Google says FAQ rich results no longer appear in Google Search, per its Search Central updates log. (Google Search Central, updates log)
Its sibling feature went earlier: HowTo rich results were removed in 2023 because they were no longer shown on desktop or mobile. One caveat on that date: it comes from a summary of Google's updates log rather than a page that could be read in full, so verify it there before quoting it.
A clean test result may now show nothing, and that is not a bug
If a rich results checker no longer lists FAQ features for a page with perfect markup, that is consistent with the deprecation. Do not hunt for an error that is not there.
What is FAQPage markup still good for?
What is left is a machine-readable restatement of questions and answers that are already on the page. That has some value for tools and engines that parse structured data. How much, and for which AI answer engines, is not something the engines document, and nobody outside them can show that this markup causes a citation.
So the sensible position is narrow. If the page genuinely has a visible FAQ, adding matching markup costs little and carries no downside when done properly. If it does not, there is nothing to mark up, and nothing here is worth building a FAQ section for.
Note also that an audit may not even require the markup. In the AEO Toolkit, the FAQ rule passes if FAQPage or QAPage data is detected or if the crawler finds a visible FAQ section in the HTML. A well-structured visible FAQ with no schema can already pass, so a failing result is a reason to check the page first, not to write markup first.
When should you skip it, or avoid it?
- There is no visible Q&A: Google's guidelines are explicit: do not mark up content that is not visible, and the markup must be a true representation of the page. A FAQ block added only to hang schema on it is the thing the guidelines warn against.
- The FAQ is promotional copy dressed as questions: Or the same FAQ is pasted on every page. Both describe content the page does not really have.
- The page is a blog post or essay: Use Article markup instead. A post is not a list of questions and answers.
- You wanted rich results: They are gone. Adding the markup for that reason is working toward a feature that no longer exists.
- The text is hidden: Using display: none text to feed markup is the specific practice the guidelines forbid.
FAQPage, QAPage or HowTo: which is which?
| What the page is | Markup | Note |
|---|---|---|
| A list of questions your site answers, visible on the page | FAQPage | Optional hygiene. No Google feature behind it any more. |
| One question with several user-submitted answers and a way to add answers | QAPage | Still documented by Google, but only for community threads. |
| Numbered steps to accomplish a task | Usually none | Make the steps clear in plain HTML. HowTo has no Google feature behind it. |
| Product reviews by real users | Review inside Product | Never self-reviews. Not a FAQ. |
| A blog post | BlogPosting | Not a FAQ. |
QAPage is the one trap that looks safe. It remains eligible for a rich result, but only for a page about one question where users can submit answers, such as a forum thread. Google lists a site-written FAQ and a how-to guide as invalid uses, so putting QAPage on a static FAQ is the wrong type.
If you do add it, how do you keep it honest?
Put the Q&A in the HTML first
Render the questions and answers in the served HTML as real headings or details elements. Content that loads only when a visitor clicks will not be seen by crawlers.
Generate the markup from the same data
Build the JSON-LD from the same source that renders the visible Q&A so the two cannot diverge. Hand-maintained duplicate copies drift.
Match the page exactly
One FAQPage per page. Each question name and each answer text should equal what is displayed. Do not truncate or rewrite answers to be snippet friendly.
Mark up every question shown, or none
Never mark up only the flattering ones.
Diff the markup against the page
Every question and answer in the JSON should appear in the visible content, with the same wording, and nothing in the JSON should be missing from the page.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [
{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Can I cancel at any time?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "Yes. You can cancel from the billing page and keep access until the end of the period."
}
}
]
}That is the minimum shape. The implementation guide for the agent skill adds the QAPage requirements, the verification steps and recipes for Next.js, Astro, WordPress and static HTML. The skill can be installed into Claude Code and other coding agents, so an agent can check your page against this logic and make the change.
Read the full implementation guideThe skill source is public.
View the skill source on GitHubFor installing any of the AEO skills into an agent, start here.
See how to install AEO agent skillsSo what should you spend the time on instead?
Put the effort into the visible answers. If your page already answers real buyer questions in plain, self-contained sentences, an engine can lift them whether or not any markup exists. That is a content job, not a schema job, and it is where the leverage was all along.
Do not promise a client rich results from FAQ markup. Say what changed and when. If a visible FAQ exists and passes the audit already, schema is optional, and you should not tell anyone it will move rankings.
Common questions
Does Google still show FAQ rich results?
No. Google's Search Central updates log says FAQ rich results no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026. They had already been restricted to well-known government and health sites in September 2023, and the FAQ documentation page was removed in June 2026. Adding FAQPage markup will not produce expandable answers in Google Search.
Does FAQ schema help my site appear in AI answers?
Whether any answer engine reads FAQPage markup is not documented by the engines, and no one outside them can show that it causes a citation. If your page has a visible FAQ, matching markup is cheap hygiene. The visible, self-contained answers do the real work, with or without the markup.
What is the difference between FAQPage and QAPage?
FAQPage is for a site-written list of questions and answers. QAPage is for one question that users can answer, such as a forum thread. Google still documents QAPage for that community case and lists a site-written FAQ as an invalid use, so do not use QAPage on a static FAQ.
Should I remove existing FAQ schema from my pages?
Not necessarily. If it matches visible questions and answers on the page, it is harmless. Remove it if it describes content the page does not show, if it is pasted site-wide, or if it was only ever there for rich results. The test is whether the markup is a true representation of the visible page.
Sources
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