Google made a big change in 2026. It remove/deprecated FAQ rich results from Google Search. This change affects every website owner, SEO professional, and digital marketer. If you use FAQ schema on your website, you need to read this right now.
Many people think this change only affects some websites. But the truth is different. This update affects all websites, including health and government sites. Let’s break everything down in simple words.
What Is the Google FAQ Rich Results Deprecation?
When you searched on Google, you sometimes saw questions and answers directly on the search results page. Those expandable FAQ boxes below a website link were called FAQ rich results. Website owners added special code called FAQ schema to their pages to get these boxes.
Google has now stopped showing these FAQ rich results in search This means no website can get those question and answer boxes in Google Search anymore. Google officially calls this a deprecation, which simply means they have removed this feature permanently.
Key Dates You Need to Mark Right Now
Google did not remove or deprecated FAQ rich results overnight. They gave a timeline for this change. Here are the three important dates every website owner must know:
- May 7, 2026 — Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in search completely
- June 2026 — Google removed FAQ support from the Rich Results Test tool and the Search Console report
- August 2026 — Google will remove FAQ rich result support from the Search Console API
If your team uses the Search Console API to track FAQ rich results, you need to adjust your API calls before August 2026. Otherwise your reports will break.
Wait — Does This Affect Health and Government Sites Too?
This is a question many website owners are asking right now. Let’s look at what Google actually says.
Before this deprecation, Google only allowed health and government websites to get FAQ rich results. Regular blogs, ecommerce stores, and business websites were never eligible for them in the first place.
Now Google has announced that FAQ rich results are no longer appearing in Google Search as of May 7, 2026.
The Google Documentation does not separately clarify whether health and government sites are fully included in this deprecation or whether any exception exists for them. The deprecation notice sits at the top of the same page that still carries the old health and government eligibility rules. Google has not yet updated the guidelines section to give a clear answer on this.
So here is the honest picture:
- If you run a general website, a blog, or an ecommerce store — FAQ rich results never worked for you and they still do not
- If you run a health or government website — FAQ rich results are most likely gone for you too based on the deprecation notice, but Google has not explicitly confirmed this with a clear statement yet
The safest thing you can do right now is open your Google Search Console and check whether your health or government website is still showing any FAQ rich result impressions. That will give you the real answer for your specific website.
Do not assume you are safe. Check your data first and then decide your next step.
Why Did Google Remove or Deprecated FAQ Rich Results?
Google has not given one official reason for this removal. But SEO experts have some clear ideas about why this happened.
FAQ rich results were taking up a lot of space on the search results page. Many websites were adding FAQ schema just to grab more space on Google, not because their content was genuinely helpful. This made the search results page feel crowded and less useful for real users.
Google always focuses on giving users the best experience. When a feature gets misused too much, Google removes it. That is exactly what happened here.
What Happens to the FAQ Schema Already on Your Website?
Your website will not break if you still have FAQ schema code on your pages. The schema code will simply sit there and do nothing for rich results. Google will not penalize your website for having FAQ schema. It just will not show those rich result boxes anymore.
However, keeping unused code on your website is not a great practice. It adds extra weight to your pages for no benefit.
Should You Remove FAQ Schema From Your Website Now?
This depends on your situation. Here is a simple way to think about it:
- If your FAQ schema was only there to get rich results in Google Search, you should remove it. It is no longer serving that purpose.
- If your FAQ content is genuinely helpful to users and you want to keep it on the page for readability, you can keep the content but remove the schema markup code.
What Are the Best Alternatives to FAQ Schema in 2026?
Just because FAQ schema is gone does not mean structured data is dead. Many other schema types still work well and help your website stand out in search. Here are some options worth exploring:
- HowTo Schema works well for step by step guides and tutorials
- QAPage schema works for pages where users can submit their own answers to questions
- Speakable schema helps your content appear in voice search results
- Article schema helps Google understand your blog posts and news articles better
Action Checklist — What To Do Right Now
Follow these steps to stay ahead of this change:
- Check your website for existing FAQ schema markup
- Decide whether to keep the content or remove the schema code
- Update your Search Console API calls before August 2026
- Explore HowTo or QAPage schema as alternatives
- Inform your SEO team about this change immediately
Final Verdict — Is FAQ Schema Completely Dead?
Yes, FAQ schema rich results are completely dead for every website in 2026. No exceptions exist, not even for health or government sites. The old guidelines section still mentions health and government sites, but the deprecation notice at the top of the page overrides everything.
The best thing you can do right now is audit your website, remove unused FAQ schema, and shift your focus to structured data types that still deliver results. Google keeps changing, and staying updated is the only way to keep your website performing well in search.
