Google is deprecating FAQ rich results in stages. As of May 7, 2026 they no longer appear in search; in June 2026, Google removes the FAQ appearance, its report and support in the Rich Results Test; in August 2026 the Search Console API stops supporting this type. Don't delete your FAQPage markup: it stays valid and useful for AI engines parsing your content. What disappears is the SERP display, not the value of the content.
On May 8, 2026, Google confirmed in its Search Central documentation that FAQ rich results stopped appearing in search on May 7, and published a full removal timeline. The official notice at the top of the FAQPage documentation is explicit: "As of May 7, 2026, FAQ rich results are no longer appearing in Google Search. We will be dropping the FAQ search appearance, rich result report, and support in the Rich results test in June 2026."
In plain terms: this month, Google unplugs the reporting infrastructure that was left. It's the end of an era where adding a FAQPage-marked block of questions and answers could inflate your result's footprint in the SERP and earn extra clicks.
The deprecation timeline, stage by stage
| Date | What Google removes |
|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | FAQ rich results stop appearing in search results. |
| June 2026 | Removal of the FAQ appearance, the "FAQ rich result" report and support in the Rich Results Test. |
| August 2026 | Removal of FAQ type support in the Search Console API (to give time to adjust API calls). |
This removal fits a broader pattern. Back in 2023, Google had already restricted FAQ rich results to well-established government and health sites, then dropped HowTo rich results altogether. The underlying logic hasn't changed: Google is cleaning out legacy enriched-display formats as it shifts the search experience toward AI.
Why now: the SERP is going generative
The timing is no accident. On May 19, at Google I/O 2026, the company unveiled the biggest redesign of the search bar in 25 years, with AI Mode powered by Gemini 3.5 Flash set as the global default. In parallel, Google published a new "optimizing for generative AI features" guide on May 15 and, on May 27, extended its "Preferred sources" feature to AI Overviews and AI Mode.
The implicit message is clear: Google is retiring old SERP ornaments (FAQ, HowTo) on one side, and documenting how to show up in generative answers on the other. Two faces of the same shift. That tension also shows up in the mixed signals Google sends about emerging standards like llms.txt.
Key takeaway: losing FAQ rich results doesn't penalize FAQ content. It shifts its value, from visual SERP display toward citability in AI answers.
What this changes for small and mid-sized businesses
If you (or your agency) invested in marked-up FAQ blocks to win rich results, that display advantage disappears this month. Expect:
- a loss of visual footprint in the SERP on pages that showed an enriched FAQ accordion;
- a slight CTR dip on those queries, your result becomes a standard line again;
- the end of the FAQ report in Search Console: you won't be able to track those impressions separately.
But, and this is the point many will miss, the content in question-and-answer form gains value across the AI ecosystem. AI Overviews, AI Mode, ChatGPT and Perplexity love short, self-contained passages phrased as a question followed by a direct answer. That's exactly the shape of a good FAQ. The same logic applies to product and listing pages: clean markup remains an asset, as we saw with how Google now treats mention signals in AI.
What to do now: 4 concrete actions
- Don't remove your FAQPage markup. It's still valid JSON-LD. It no longer triggers a rich result, but it helps LLMs isolate clear question-answer pairs. The cost of keeping it is zero.
- Keep (and expand) your visible FAQ sections. A real, user-readable FAQ on the page is what feeds AI engines. Favor 40-to-60-word answers that are factual and self-contained.
- Remove your Search Console API calls on the FAQ type before August 2026, otherwise they'll return errors after the removal.
- Reallocate "rich results" effort toward AI citability. Sourced figures, clean definitions, comparison tables: that's what generative answers pick up.
Frequently asked questions
Should I remove FAQPage schema from my pages in June 2026?
What are the key dates for the deprecation?
Does FAQ content still have SEO value?
Our take
At Cicéro, we read this deprecation as a good proxy for where search is heading: Google is removing display crutches and rewarding genuinely useful content where AI will cite it. Keep structuring your questions and answers, but aim for the direct, citable answer, not the SERP badge that no longer exists.
What this article doesn't cover: it doesn't address the fate of QAPage (for forums and community content), which remains supported, nor the exact CTR impact in numbers, Google doesn't publish that data and we won't put forward an unverified estimate. Any query volumes mentioned come from SERP analysis, not a proprietary measurement.
Sources
- → Google Search Central, FAQPage documentation (deprecation notice), official May/June/August 2026 timeline.
- → Google Search Central, Documentation updates, May 8, 2026 entry on the end of FAQ rich results, "generative AI features" guide (May 15), Preferred sources in AI (May 27).
- → Google, Search at I/O 2026, search redesign and AI Mode by default (May 19, 2026).
Growth and SEO content strategist, I founded Cicéro to help businesses build lasting organic visibility, on Google and in AI-generated answers alike. Every piece of content we produce is designed to convert, not just to exist.
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