What is FAQ Schema?
Key Takeaways
- It is code added to a page that labels each question and its answer in a standard format.
- The marked-up content must match what a visitor can see on the page.
- Search engines decide whether to display anything from it, and markup does not guarantee a special result.
- It is one part of a broader approach to structured data.
Understanding FAQ Schema
Schema is a shared vocabulary for describing the content of a page. FAQ schema uses it to say that a section of the page contains questions, each with an accepted answer, so software can read the section without guessing.
The questions and answers should appear on the page itself, written for visitors first. Markup that describes content a reader cannot see goes against the guidelines search engines publish.
Whether anything from the markup is shown in search results is the search engine’s decision. It can change over time, so the page should be useful to a reader with or without it.
The markup is usually added in a format called JSON-LD, either by hand or through a plugin, and then checked with a testing tool for errors.
Related Terms
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Does FAQ schema improve rankings?
Not directly. It helps search engines understand the page, and they decide whether to display anything from it.
Can I mark up questions that are not on the page?
No. The markup should describe content that visitors can see.
Where does the code go?
It is usually added to the page as JSON-LD, either in the page code or through a plugin.
This term is treated at length in FAQ Schema and How to Add It and What It Does Now.