FAQ Schema
FAQ schema is structured data marking up question-and-answer pairs on a page so machines can identify each question and its corresponding answer precisely.
Question-and-answer content is the format closest to what an answer engine produces, which makes it unusually easy to reuse. Marked-up FAQs are frequently lifted more or less verbatim.
The requirement is that the marked-up content matches what a visitor sees. Markup describing content that is absent or different is a mismatch engines detect and penalise.
Why it matters
Of all content formats, FAQs convert most directly into citations, because the structure already matches the output. It is the cheapest way to become quotable.
An example
A plumbing company's pricing page answers five common questions — call-out charges, weekend rates, how quotes work. Marking them up as FAQPage lets any machine identify each question and its answer exactly, rather than guessing where one answer ends and the next begins.
Common mistakes
- Expecting FAQ rich results in Google. Since 2023 Google shows them only for a small set of authoritative government and health sites.
- Marking up questions that are not visible on the page.
- Writing answers that depend on surrounding text to make sense.
Questions
- Is FAQ schema still worth using?
- Yes, though not for the reason it once was. Google no longer shows FAQ rich results for most sites, but the markup still states precisely which text answers which question — useful for any system parsing the page.
- How should I write FAQ answers?
- Make each one complete on its own, starting with a direct answer in the first sentence. An answer that reads correctly with no surrounding context is one that can be quoted accurately.