Structured data in Google Search, and what still works

What structured data is

Google describes structured data as a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content. A recipe page, for example, can state its ingredients and cook time in a form a machine can read without guessing.

The vocabulary usually comes from schema.org. Schema.org calls itself a collection of shared vocabularies that webmasters can use to mark up their pages. Google, Microsoft, Yandex and Yahoo! are the search engines it names as understanding that markup.

JSON-LD and the other formats

Google supports three formats: JSON-LD, Microdata and RDFa. JSON-LD is a block of JavaScript notation placed in a script tag, separate from the visible text. Microdata and RDFa add attributes to the HTML tags that already display the content.

Google says it recommends JSON-LD if your site's setup allows it, because it is the easiest to implement and maintain at scale. The same page also says all three formats are equally fine for Google as long as the markup is valid. Pick the one your platform supports.

Google's general guidelines

Google publishes general rules that apply to every feature. Breaking the quality rules can lead to a manual action, which removes rich result eligibility but does not affect how the page ranks in web search. Google also says markup does not guarantee a rich result, even when it passes testing.

• Do not block pages that carry structured data from Googlebot with robots.txt, noindex or other access controls.
• Mark up only content that is visible to readers of the page.
• Your structured data must be a true representation of the page content. Do not mark up irrelevant or misleading content, such as fake reviews.
• Include all required properties for the feature. Items missing them are ineligible. Recommended properties improve result quality.
• Keep information up to date. Time-sensitive content that is no longer relevant will not earn a rich result.
• Put the markup on the page it describes. On duplicate pages, add the same markup to every duplicate, not just the canonical page.
• Use the most specific schema.org types and properties that apply.

How to validate it

Google calls the Rich Results Test an easy and useful tool for validating your structured data. It can sometimes preview how a feature may look in Search. The URL Inspection tool in Search Console helps confirm that Google has found the markup on a live page.

After launch, use the rich result status reports in Search Console, listed under Enhancements. Google says these reports let you monitor validity, since markup can break after a template change. The reports are not a comprehensive list of all detected items, and counts are per item, not per page. Fixes must be made in your site's source code.

Rich results Google has removed

Google's Search Central changelog records several retirements. The dates below come from that changelog.

FAQ is the one most teams ask about. On September 14, 2023, Google updated the FAQ documentation to say the feature was only shown for well-known, authoritative government and health websites. On May 8, 2026, Google posted a deprecation notice that said the feature would no longer appear in Google Search starting May 7, 2026. On June 15, 2026, Google removed the FAQ documentation, stating that the FAQ rich result is no longer shown in Search results.

How-to followed a similar path earlier. On September 14, 2023, Google removed the How-to documentation because the rich result was no longer shown on desktop or mobile.

What to do

Check the current gallery of supported features before you plan new markup. It lists 25 features at the time of review, including Article, Breadcrumb, Product, Recipe, Event, Organization and Video. Markup for a retired feature does not break anything, but it earns no rich result from that feature. Keep markup that accurately describes your page, and test each template with the Rich Results Test before release.

Sources

1. [1]
   Intro to how structured data markup works

   Google Search Central. Definition, the three formats, JSON-LD recommendation, Rich Results Test, rich result status reports, URL Inspection.
2. [2]
   General structured data guidelines

   Google Search Central. Technical and quality guidelines, manual actions, no guarantee of rich results.
3. [3]
   Structured data markup that Google Search supports (gallery)

   Google Search Central. Current list of 25 supported features.
4. [4]
   Google Search Central documentation updates

   Google Search Central. Dated changelog entries for FAQ, How-to and other retired features.
5. [5]
   Rich result reports in Search Console

   Google Search Console Help. What the enhancement reports show and their limits.
6. [6]
   Getting started with schema.org using Microdata

   schema.org. What schema.org is and the formats it names.

Sources were last checked on October 13, 2026. Documentation changes, so confirm any detail that matters to a decision against the source itself.

Indexive Research. (2026, September 23). Structured data in Google Search, and what still works. Indexive AI. https://indexive.ai/research/structured-data-in-google-search