Should I remove FAQ markup?

What Is FAQPage Schema? Definition and Examples

FAQPage is a Schema.org WebPage subtype for pages with a list of questions, each with one answer written by the site. Its markup uses mainEntity with Question items, each holding an acceptedAnswer. For several years it produced expandable FAQ rich results that many sites used widely. In August 2023 Google restricted FAQ rich results to well-known, authoritative government and health websites.

The markup

Each question and answer must be visible on the page. The answer text can include limited HTML such as links and lists.

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "Does Kelpforge support SSO?",
    "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "Yes, on the Business plan, via SAML 2.0." }
  }]
}

The 2023 restriction

Google announced that FAQ rich results would show only for well-known government and health sites, and for other sites would no longer appear. A typical SaaS site will not get FAQ rich results today. Google said the markup does no harm and need not be removed. Search Console's FAQ report was later retired along with the feature for most sites.

Is it still worth adding?

There is no visual payoff in Google for most sites. Some teams keep FAQPage markup because it describes Q and A content clearly for any parser, including AI systems, though no AI search vendor has documented using it. If your CMS outputs it accurately, leaving it is fine. Building it fresh purely for search appearance is not worthwhile.

Example

A pricing page FAQ

Kelpforge, a SaaS identity tool, has a pricing page FAQ. Its markup was added in 2021 for the rich result. After the 2023 change the team leaves it in place, since it is accurate and costs nothing, but stops adding FAQ blocks to pages purely to earn markup.

Common mistakes

Using FAQPage for user Q and A

Pages where users submit questions and answers should use QAPage or DiscussionForumPosting instead.

Expecting the old dropdowns

Advice written before August 2023 promises results that most sites can no longer get.

Questions

Google said there is no need. It does not hurt, and it still describes the content accurately.

Sources

FAQPage Schema