What is FAQ schema, and is it still worth adding?

What is FAQ schema in plain words?

Many pages end with a short list of common questions. FAQ schema is a code label that says, in effect, here are our questions and here are our answers.

It is usually written in JSON-LD, the format Google recommends. The page gets one FAQPage object. Inside it, each Question holds one acceptedAnswer.

It is meant for questions your business wrote and answered itself. Forums where users post answers should use the QAPage type instead.

The visible part matters just as much. A good FAQ answers the questions buyers really ask before they call. Think prices, timelines, coverage areas, policies and who the service is for.

Does FAQ schema still show in Google results?

For most sites, no. In 2023 Google reduced FAQ rich results, the expandable questions under a listing. They now appear only for a limited set of authoritative government and health sites.

Google did not say the markup is wrong or harmful. It simply stopped showing the visual feature for most sites. Check Google's structured data docs for the current rules, as they can change.

Why FAQ markup can still be worth adding

People ask AI assistants questions in full sentences. A page with clear questions and direct answers matches that pattern well. The visible FAQ content does most of the work here.

The markup adds a clean, labeled copy of the same pairs. It is cheap to maintain if your CMS generates it from the visible list. It also keeps your structured data consistent with what the page says.

No AI platform has confirmed that FAQ markup changes whether it cites you. Treat it as tidy groundwork, not a ranking trick.

What does FAQ schema look like?

Here is a short example for a fictional accounting firm. Each answer matches the text visitors see.

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [{
    "@type": "Question",
    "name": "Do you work with sole traders?",
    "acceptedAnswer": {
      "@type": "Answer",
      "text": "Yes. We handle bookkeeping and tax returns for sole traders."
    }
  }]
}
</script>

What rules apply, and what mistakes should you avoid?

Google's guidelines are short. Most problems come from treating FAQ markup as advertising space.

• Mark up only questions and answers that are visible on the page.
• Do not use FAQ answers for ads or pure sales copy.
• If the same FAQ appears on many pages, mark up only one instance.
• Keep answers in sync when prices, policies or services change.
• Validate the JSON, since one stray comma can break the whole block.

How do you check your FAQ schema?

Paste the page URL into the Schema Markup Validator at validator.schema.org. It confirms the FAQPage structure is valid. Google's own testing tools may also report it, so check the current docs.

WebValet's free check looks for structured data across the signals it reviews. It flags whether markup is present, so you know where to start.

Questions people ask