Rich Results That Still Work in 2026 (and the Ones Google Retired)
Google has retired or restricted several rich result types over the past few years, and much advice online is out of date. This guide lists what still produces a visible result for ordinary sites in 2026, what no longer does, and how to implement markup without risking a manual action.
- FAQ and HowTo rich results are now shown for very few sites; the markup is still valid but rarely visible.
- Product, Review, LocalBusiness, Article, Breadcrumb, Event, Recipe, Video and JobPosting remain the useful types for most businesses.
- Markup must describe content visible on the page, or you risk losing all rich results.
- Validate with the Rich Results Test and monitor Search Console enhancement reports.
What changed
In 2023 Google restricted FAQ rich results to well-known authoritative government and health sites and removed HowTo rich results on desktop and mobile. Several other features have been simplified or withdrawn since. The markup remains valid Schema.org and is still read, but it no longer earns the visual treatment most guides promise.
Types that still earn visible results
- Product and merchant listings: price, availability, ratings and shipping in results.
- Review snippets, where the reviews are genuine and visible on the page.
- LocalBusiness and Organization: knowledge panel and local details.
- Article: eligibility for Top Stories and richer article display.
- BreadcrumbList: breadcrumb trail in place of the URL.
- Event, Recipe, Video, JobPosting, Course and Software application, where they apply.
The rule that matters most
Structured data must represent the main content of the page and be visible to users. Marking up reviews that are not displayed, a price that differs from the page, or questions that do not appear is a violation of Google's structured data policies. The consequence is a manual action that can remove rich results for the entire site.
How to implement safely
- Generate JSON-LD from the same data source as the page so they cannot disagree.
- Include required properties for the type; add recommended ones where you have the data.
- Test each template with the Rich Results Test and the Schema.org validator.
- Monitor Search Console enhancement reports and fix errors promptly.
- Remove markup for types you are not eligible for rather than leaving it to rot.
Does schema help with AI search?
Indirectly. Clear entity markup helps machines identify who published a page and what it is about. It is one signal among many, not a switch.
Questions
Should I remove FAQ schema?
No need. It is valid and harmless if the questions are on the page. Just do not expect a rich result from it.
Does schema improve rankings?
Not directly. It can improve click-through and helps machines understand content.
How do I check if my markup is valid?
Use Google's Rich Results Test for eligibility and the Schema.org validator for correctness, then watch Search Console.
Can I mark up reviews from other sites?
Not as your own review snippet. Self-serving reviews for LocalBusiness and Organization are also not eligible.