GoogleGoogle retired FAQ rich results. As of May 7, 2026, the expandable question dropdowns under a search result are gone for every website, including the government and health sites that kept them after 2023. Your on-page answers still matter. The Google snippet does not exist anymore.
What exactly did Google change?
Google stopped showing the FAQ rich result, the stacked expandable questions that sat under your listing. It changed how Google displays your page, not the page itself.
Under your result
expandable FAQ dropdownsa plain result
For every site, since May 7, 2026.
Government and health sites
kept the feature after 2023lost it too
The 2023 exception ended with everyone else.
FAQPage documentation
on Google Search Centralremoved
The old URL redirects to the changelog.
FAQPage markup
a Google rich-result typevalid schema.org vocabulary
It still exists; Google just stopped rendering it.
View data
| Metric | Day zero → target |
|---|---|
| Under your result | expandable FAQ dropdowns → a plain result |
| Government and health sites | kept the feature after 2023 → lost it too |
| FAQPage documentation | on Google Search Central → removed |
| FAQPage markup | a Google rich-result type → valid schema.org vocabulary |
When did it happen, and how did Google announce it?
In two stages: August 2023 cut the feature down to government and health sites, and May 7, 2026 retired it everywhere. The 2026 change was a documentation changelog entry, not a blog post.
All of them are Google Search product changes, announced by Google itself.
View data
| Step | Value |
|---|---|
| Reduced | Aug 8, 2023 (a Google blog post keeps it for gov and health sites only) |
| Retired | May 7, 2026 (gone from Search for every site) |
| Noted | May 8, 2026 (one line in the Search Central changelog) |
| Docs removed | Jun 15, 2026 (the FAQ documentation taken down) |
Do I need to remove the FAQ schema from my site?
No. Google’s guidance since 2023: you don’t need to proactively remove it. Unused structured data causes no problems for Search and has no visible effect either.
Harmless. Google said so in 2023 and the guidance still stands.
Optional tidying, not a repair your site needs.
No dropdown, no stars, no visible change in Google results now.
Does keeping FAQ schema help me show up in AI answers?
Not in any way Google promises. Its guidance says structured data "isn’t required for generative AI search," and there is no special markup to add for it.
Structured-data value is tied to rich-result eligibility, which FAQPage no longer has. Optimizing for its AI search is still ordinary SEO, not a separate craft.
That FAQ markup feeds AI engines. Google does not confirm it, so we will not sell it to you as fact.
A person or an AI reads the plain text on your page. The schema was a formatting hint for one Google feature, and that feature is gone.
The target
the FAQ dropdownthe plain-text answer
The dropdown was never the point. What matters is that the answer is already on your page, in plain words.
The markup
FAQPage, for a snippetArticle, Product, Review
The types that still earn a rich result.
"Answer engine optimization"
a separate craftordinary SEO
Google’s own view of optimizing for its AI search.
View data
| Metric | Day zero → target |
|---|---|
| The target | the FAQ dropdown → the plain-text answer |
| The markup | FAQPage, for a snippet → Article, Product, Review |
| "Answer engine optimization" | a separate craft → ordinary SEO |
Which structured data still earns a rich result, and what should you do now?
Plenty. The retirement removed one appearance type; Article, Product and Review markup still power rich results. So keep your answers as plain text, and do not try to resurrect the snippet.
No. Retired May 7, 2026.
Yes, still shows a rich result.
Yes, still shows a rich result.
Yes, still shows a rich result.
- 01Leave the Q&A on the pageKeep your real questions and answers in plain text where customers can read them. That part was always doing the work, and it still is.
- 02Don’t chase the lost snippetThere is no setting, plugin or markup that brings the FAQ dropdown back. It is retired for every site, including government and health.
- 03Leave the schema or remove itUnused FAQPage markup causes no problems and has no visible effect. Removing it is optional cleanup, not a fix.
- 04Put structured-data effort where it still showsArticle, Product and Review markup still power rich results. That is where the tags still earn their place; a website audit tells you which ones you have.
What does this mean at your front desk?
Nothing changes about the phone. A customer who wants your hours, your return policy, or whether you take walk-ins still asks the same questions; they just will not see the answer pre-expanded under your Google result.
View data
| Piece | What happens |
|---|---|
| Door | Typed into Google |
| Door | Asked an AI |
| Door | Opened your page |
| Door | Called the front desk |
| Hub | The answer, in plain words, on your page — hours, return policy, walk-ins, in one clear sentence |
| Stage | Read by a person or a machine — no dropdown needed, no schema needed |
| Stage | Repeated on the call — by whoever, or whatever, picks up |
| Return | The next question comes in — the dropdown is gone; the question isn’t |
When someone calls to ask if you are open on Labor Day, the win is not a schema tag. It is the answer coming back in one clear sentence, on the page and on the call.
- 01Keep the Q&A as plain text
- 02Stop chasing the snippet
- 03Leave or remove the schema
- 04Point markup where it still shows
Questions owners ask
When did Google retire FAQ rich results?
The FAQ rich result stopped appearing in Google Search on May 7, 2026. Google noted it in its Search Central changelog on May 8, 2026, then removed the FAQ documentation on June 15, 2026. A changelog update, not a standalone blog post.
Should I delete FAQPage schema from my website?
You don’t have to. Google’s 2023 guidance still stands: unused structured data doesn’t cause problems for Search and has no visible effect either. Leaving the markup is harmless; removing it is optional housekeeping, not a fix for anything.
Does FAQ schema help me appear in AI or generative search?
Google doesn’t promise that. Its guidance says structured data isn’t required for generative AI search and there’s no special markup to add for it. Keep your questions as readable text on the page instead.
What structured data still shows a rich result?
Article, Product and Review snippets are unaffected and still power rich results in Google Search. Only the FAQ rich result was retired; those remaining types are where structured-data effort still shows up for visitors.
Sources
- Google Search Central: Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results (Aug 8, 2023; updated Sep 14, 2023) (2023)
- Google Search Central: What's new changelog (FAQ deprecation May 8, 2026; docs removal Jun 15, 2026; verified 2026-08-28) (2026)
- Google Search Central: Get your content in AI features (structured data guidance; verified 2026-08-28) (2026)
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