FAQ schema for WordPress: how to add FAQPage markup
By Anis Harbaoui, SEO specialist
FAQ schema is FAQPage structured data that marks up a list of questions and answers already visible on your page. It tells machines which text is a question and which text answers it. Google now shows FAQ rich results only for a small set of sites, but the markup is still valid and still helps search engines and AI assistants read your answers cleanly.
- FAQPage markup must describe questions and answers that readers can see on the page.
- Since August 2023 Google shows FAQ rich results only for well-known government and health sites, so do not expect expandable questions under your result.
- The markup is still a clean, machine-readable Q&A block for other search engines and AI tools.
- Generate it from a visible FAQ block instead of pasting JSON by hand.
What is FAQ schema?
FAQ schema is the FAQPage type from Schema.org. It wraps a list of Question items, and each question carries an acceptedAnswer with the answer text. Search engines read it as JSON-LD in the page source.
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "FAQPage",
"mainEntity": [{
"@type": "Question",
"name": "Does FAQ schema improve rankings?",
"acceptedAnswer": {
"@type": "Answer",
"text": "No. It does not affect rankings directly."
}
}]
}The markup describes content. It does not replace it: the same question and answer must appear in the visible page.
Does Google still show FAQ rich results?
For most sites, no. In August 2023 Google announced that FAQ rich results would only appear for well-known, authoritative government and health websites. A typical business site or blog that adds FAQ schema will not get expandable questions under its search result. The rules are set out in Google’s FAQPage documentation.
The markup is still valid Schema.org, so there is no need to remove what you already have.
Is FAQ schema still worth adding?
If the page already has a good FAQ, marking it up costs very little and has a few upsides. Other search engines and AI tools can read the question and answer pairs without guessing where an answer starts. Writing questions in a markup-ready format also pushes you to answer each one directly.
Pick the right type before you start:
| Type | Use it when |
|---|---|
| FAQPage | You write one official answer for each question |
| QAPage | Visitors can submit several answers, as on a forum |
How do you add FAQ schema in WordPress?
- Collect real questions from search suggestions, support emails and the questions your sales calls repeat.
- Answer each one in a few direct sentences. Put the answer first and the detail after it.
- Add the questions with the NexalSEO FAQ block in the block editor. The block outputs valid FAQPage schema automatically, inside the same graph as the rest of your page markup.
- Test the page with a validator. Our guide to testing your markup explains which tool checks what.
If another plugin also prints FAQPage on the same page, you end up with conflicting entities. See the guide to finding and fixing duplicate schema before you publish.
What mistakes break FAQ schema?
- Marking up hidden text. Every question and answer in the markup has to be visible to readers.
- Writing ads as answers. Promotional copy in an answer goes against Google’s guidelines.
- Using the wrong type. A forum thread with many user answers is a QAPage, not an FAQPage.
- Unsupported HTML. Answers can use a small set of tags such as links, lists, bold and line breaks. Anything else is ignored or can invalidate the item.
Frequently asked questions
Does FAQ schema improve rankings?
No. Google has never treated it as a ranking factor. It only affects eligibility for a rich result, and today that is limited to a few kinds of sites.
Should I use FAQPage or QAPage?
Use FAQPage when you write one official answer per question. Use QAPage when users can submit several answers, as on a forum.
How many questions should one page have?
As many as the page genuinely answers. Three to six is typical for a guide, and every question must be visible on the page.
Can I remove FAQ schema I already added?
Yes, and nothing breaks. If the visible FAQ helps readers, keeping the markup costs nothing.
Related guides
How structured data works
Start here if schema is new to you.
Fixing conflicting markup
What to do when two plugins print the same schema.
Testing your markup
Which validator to use and what each one checks.
The NexalSEO FAQ block outputs FAQPage markup from the questions you write, inside the same connected schema graph.
See the schema module