FAQ Schema Markup: The Complete Guide

2026-02-06•15 min read

Key Takeaways

• FAQ schema uses FAQPage type — It marks up question-and-answer content on any page
• Google changed eligibility in 2023 — Only government and health authority sites get FAQ rich results
• Still valuable for AI search — FAQ schema helps AI models extract structured Q&A data
• JSON-LD is preferred — Google recommends JSON-LD over Microdata or RDFa
• Content must match — Schema must reflect the visible Q&A content on the page

FAQ schema (FAQPage structured data) is a type of schema markup that tells search engines and AI models that a page contains a list of questions and answers. While Google restricted FAQ rich results to authority sites in August 2023, FAQ schema remains critical for AI search engines that extract structured information to generate responses.

This guide is part of our Schema Markup Mastery series. For generation tools, see our FAQ Schema Generator roundup.

What Is FAQ Schema? #

FAQ schema is structured data that uses the FAQPage type from schema.org. According to Google's official FAQPage documentation, it defines a page whose primary purpose is to contain a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. Each FAQ item consists of:

Question (@type: Question) — The question text, contained in the name property
Accepted Answer (@type: Answer) — The answer, contained in the text property

When properly implemented, FAQ schema helps search engines understand the Q&A structure of your content, and it provides AI language models with clean, parseable question-answer pairs they can use to generate accurate responses citing your content.

FAQ Schema JSON-LD Structure #

Google recommends JSON-LD as the preferred format for structured data. Here is the complete structure for FAQ schema:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "What is FAQ schema?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "FAQ schema is structured data that helps search engines understand question-and-answer content on a web page."
      }
    },
    {
      "@type": "Question",
      "name": "Is FAQ schema still worth implementing?",
      "acceptedAnswer": {
        "@type": "Answer",
        "text": "Yes. While Google restricted FAQ rich results to authority sites, FAQ schema still helps AI search engines extract and cite your Q&A content accurately."
      }
    }
  ]
}
</script>

Required Properties

Property	Type	Description
`@type`	Text	Must be `"FAQPage"`
`mainEntity`	Array	Array of `Question` objects
`Question.name`	Text	The full text of the question
`Question.acceptedAnswer`	Answer	An `Answer` object with the response
`Answer.text`	Text	The full text of the answer (supports limited HTML)

Diagram showing FAQ schema JSON-LD structure with Question and Answer types

Google FAQ Rich Results: Current Eligibility #

In August 2023, Google announced significant restrictions on which sites can receive FAQ rich results in search. The new rules are:

Government websites — .gov and equivalent government domain sites
Health authority websites — Established health organizations (e.g., WHO, CDC, NHS)
All other sites — No longer eligible for FAQ rich results in Google Search

This means most websites will not see FAQ dropdowns in Google search results, even with properly implemented FAQ schema. However, this does not make FAQ schema useless — far from it.

Why FAQ Schema Still Matters in 2026 #

"FAQ schema may not generate Google rich results for most sites, but it remains one of the most effective ways to get your content cited by AI search engines."

1AI search extraction — ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI search engines use structured data to extract Q&A content
2Voice search — FAQ schema helps voice assistants find and read back concise answers
3Knowledge graph — Google still processes FAQ schema for understanding content, even without rich results
4Bing and other engines — Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others may still display FAQ rich results
5AI Overviews — Google AI Overviews can extract well-structured FAQ content

How to Implement FAQ Schema #

1Write your FAQ content first — Create genuine, helpful questions and comprehensive answers
2Make content visible on page — All Q&A pairs in the schema must be visible to users
3Create the JSON-LD markup — Use a FAQ schema generator or write it manually
4Add to your page — Place the JSON-LD script in the page's <head> or <body>
5Validate — Test with Google Rich Results Test and Schema.org Validator
6Monitor — Check Google Search Console for FAQ-related errors

Common FAQ Schema Mistakes #

Infographic showing common FAQ schema implementation mistakes and their fixes

Based on Search Engine Journal's analysis of common structured data errors, here are the top FAQ schema mistakes to avoid:

Hidden content — Schema references Q&A not visible on the page (Google may penalize)
Promotional answers — Using FAQ schema for advertising rather than genuine information
Duplicate questions — Same Q&A appearing in schema across multiple pages
Missing answers — Questions without corresponding acceptedAnswer
Incorrect nesting — Using HowTo schema format instead of FAQ format

FAQ Schema vs. HowTo Schema #

Feature	FAQPage	HowTo
Purpose	Questions & answers	Step-by-step instructions
Content type	Informational Q&A	Procedural guides
Rich results	Restricted (authority sites only)	Available to all eligible pages
AI search impact	High — clean Q&A extraction	High — structured process

Limitations to Be Aware Of #

No rich results for most sites — Since August 2023, FAQ rich results are restricted to government and health authority sites. Don't implement FAQ schema expecting Google rich results.
AI extraction is not guaranteed — While FAQ schema improves the probability of AI citation, AI engines may still choose other sources.
Maintenance required — Outdated FAQs hurt trust. Answers containing old statistics or deprecated information damage credibility.
Schema alone isn't enough — FAQ schema works best when combined with high-quality content, strong EEAT signals, and proper content organization.

Conclusion #

FAQ schema remains one of the most accessible and impactful structured data types for AI search optimization. While it no longer generates rich results for most sites, it provides a clean, parseable Q&A format that AI engines actively use for answer extraction. Implement it on your most important pages, keep it accurate, and validate regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions #

Is FAQ schema deprecated?

No, FAQ schema is not deprecated. Google restricted FAQ rich results to government and health authority sites in August 2023, but the schema type itself remains valid and supported. Google still processes FAQ schema for understanding content, and AI search engines actively use it for content extraction.

How many FAQs should I include in schema?

There is no strict limit, but 5-10 questions per page is a practical guideline. Each question should be genuine, useful, and have a comprehensive answer. Focus on quality over quantity — include only the questions your audience actually asks.

Can I use FAQ schema on any page?

Technically yes, but the page should genuinely contain FAQ content. Google's guidelines state the page must list questions with answers. Product pages, service pages, and blog posts can all include FAQ sections with corresponding schema markup.

About the Author

Yue Zhu@Seenos.ai

Product Manager at Seenos.ai. Pioneer in AEO research since 2024, exploring the convergence of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Led multiple AI-powered content optimization projects that achieved 300%+ citation increases in ChatGPT and Perplexity.