Structured Data for Small Sites: What Google Still Supports

Say your SEO plugin offers to switch on schema markup and lists a long run of types, while an older tutorial says to add FAQ and HowTo markup for rich results. Google has stopped showing both, so the useful question is which markup still earns its place on a small site, and which is clutter.

This guide separates what Google still supports from what it retired, with dates taken from Google's own changelog. You will leave with a table of what to mark up on each kind of page, two JSON-LD blocks to copy, a routine for testing them, and a plain account of what structured data does for AI answers.

Statuses below come from Google's documentation and changelog as read on 13 October 2026. Google changes the list a few times a year, so check dates.

What structured data can and cannot do

Structured data is a block of machine-readable facts about a page, written in the schema.org vocabulary. Google recommends JSON-LD, a JSON format in a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag; Microdata and RDFa also work. The block can go in the <head> or <body>, and Google processes markup that JavaScript adds, provided it is in the DOM (the rendered page structure).

Three limits come straight from Google's general guidelines:

• Eligible is not guaranteed. Correct markup makes a page eligible for a feature; Google says it does not guarantee one, even when the page passes the Rich Results Test.
• The markup must match the page. Hidden content, irrelevant content and fake reviews all break the rules.
• Penalties are narrow. A structured data manual action removes eligibility for rich results. Google says it does not affect how the page ranks in web search.

What Google retired, and when

A retired feature is a visual treatment that no longer appears in Google Search; the markup itself is still valid schema.org. The sequence, from Google's changelog and blog:

The June 2025 post also named Book Actions, but in November 2025 the changelog removed that deprecation banner because a feature in Search still uses the markup. For any type not in the table, check Google's Search gallery, which lists about two dozen supported features and no longer includes FAQ or How-to.

You need not delete anything. Google's 2023 post said you can drop FAQ and HowTo markup but there is "no need to proactively remove it", and that unused structured data causes no problems for Search while having no visible effect. The 2026 FAQ notice only says the feature stops appearing. Keep markup that mirrors questions readers can see; delete markup a plugin generates for questions that appear nowhere on the page, which breaks the visible-content rule.

What a small site should mark up

Start from the page, not the plugin's list. The last column is what Google documents, not a promise.

A page with no genuine ratings or reviews cannot satisfy the last row, and Google warns that ratings not written by real users may bring a manual action. In July 2026 it added a review snippet guideline about fake and undisclosed incentivized reviews. Skip the type until you have reviews you can show. Shops, events, jobs, recipes and videos have their own features; use the gallery for those.

Two blocks to copy

These use an invented studio at example.com. Replace every value with text that appears on your own pages. Each block is its own <script>, which Google handles.

Home page: Organization and WebSite

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Organization",
  "name": "Example Studio",
  "url": "https://example.com/",
  "logo": "https://example.com/images/logo-512.png",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.youtube.com/@your-channel",
    "https://github.com/your-organization"
  ]
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "WebSite",
  "name": "Example Studio",
  "alternateName": "Example",
  "url": "https://example.com/"
}
</script>

Keep one WebSite block. Google asks you to nest site name properties in an existing WebSite node instead of adding a second block, so check that your theme and plugin are not both printing one.

A blog post: BlogPosting and BreadcrumbList

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BlogPosting",
  "headline": "Restore a Mac from Time Machine: a rehearsal checklist",
  "image": ["https://example.com/images/blog/restore-rehearsal.png"],
  "datePublished": "2026-10-13T08:00:00+02:00",
  "dateModified": "2026-10-13T08:00:00+02:00",
  "author": {
    "@type": "Organization",
    "name": "Example Studio",
    "url": "https://example.com/about"
  }
}
</script>
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
  "itemListElement": [
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://example.com/" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Blog", "item": "https://example.com/blog" },
    { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Restore a Mac from Time Machine" }
  ]
}
</script>

Notes on the second block, from the Article and breadcrumb documentation:

• Use Person as the author type for a person and Organization for an organization. Put only the name in author.name, with no job title or "posted by".
• Write dates in ISO 8601 with a time zone offset. Without one, Google assumes the time zone of Googlebot.
• The last breadcrumb item can omit item; Google uses the URL of the containing page.
• Keep headline and the dates in line with what readers see, and change dateModified only when the post itself changed.

Test it in three passes

1. Check the rendered page. Inspect the live URL's rendered HTML in your browser's developer tools and confirm each block is present. This matters most when JavaScript or a tag manager injects it. In a tag manager, pull values from the page with variables instead of retyping them, so the markup cannot drift from the visible text.
2. Run the Rich Results Test on the URL. Google calls it the official tool for seeing which Google rich results a page can generate. Test the URL, not pasted code, when JavaScript is involved: Google notes the code box has JavaScript limitations such as CORS restrictions. It catches most technical errors, but a pass does not mean Google will show anything.
3. Run the Schema Markup Validator. It checks any schema.org markup without Google-specific warnings, which is useful for types Google has no feature for, such as FAQPage now.

Then use Search Console: the URL Inspection tool shows what Google fetched, and the Manual Actions report shows whether a structured data action applies. Allow several days for Google to recrawl, and retest after any theme or plugin change, since both can alter what a template prints.

Mistakes that cost eligibility or trust

Structured data and AI answers: what is documented

Google's guide to optimizing for generative AI features (updated 10 July 2026) is direct: structured data is not required for generative AI search, there is no special schema.org markup to add, and "overfocusing on structured data" is on its list of things to ignore. It adds that continuing to use it is a good idea, because it helps with rich result eligibility. The same guide says you do not need llms.txt or other special files for Google Search, and a 15 June 2026 changelog entry says such files neither help nor hurt visibility there. Our llms.txt guide covers who does read the file.

Microsoft's emphasis is different. A Microsoft Advertising post from October 2025 says schema helps search engines and AI systems understand your content, and can label it as a product, review, FAQ or event. The post offers no measurement of how much it helps.

We found no vendor-published data showing that markup raises how often a page is cited in AI answers. Percentage-lift claims appear in third-party SEO material, and the ones we found cited no vendor measurement. Treat them as unverified.

The practical reading: add the small set in the table because it is cheap, accurate and backed by vendor documentation, and treat any AI benefit as a side effect, not the reason. To see which AI bots visit your site, use the server log recipes; the AI search hub has the rest.

Where to start this week

• Switch off or delete markup for retired features (FAQ rich results, How-to) that describes nothing visible.
• Add Organization and WebSite to the home page, with one WebSite block.
• Add BlogPosting and BreadcrumbList to the post template, with dates that include a time zone.
• Run the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator on one live URL per template.
• Open Search Console's Manual Actions report and confirm it is clean.
• Recheck Google's changelog for structured data entries each quarter.

Frequently asked questions

Should I delete FAQPage markup now that Google dropped FAQ rich results?

You do not have to. Google's 2023 post said unused FAQ structured data causes no problems for Search and has no visible effect, and its May 2026 notice only says the rich result stops appearing. Keep the markup if it matches questions and answers readers can see. Delete it if a plugin generates questions that appear nowhere on the page.

Does structured data improve my Google rankings?

Google documents it as a way to make pages eligible for rich results and to help it understand a page, not as a ranking boost. Its guidelines say valid markup does not guarantee a rich result.

Should I use JSON-LD, and can I add it with JavaScript or a tag manager?

Use JSON-LD if your setup allows it; Google recommends it, though Microdata and RDFa are also supported. Google can process markup that JavaScript adds as long as it is in the DOM after rendering. With a tag manager, read values from the page with variables and test the live URL, not pasted code.

Do I need schema markup to appear in Google's AI Overviews or AI Mode?

No. Google's generative AI guide says structured data is not required and no special schema.org markup is needed. It still recommends using it as part of ordinary SEO, because it supports rich result eligibility.

What is the difference between the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator?

The Rich Results Test shows which Google rich results a page can generate. The Schema Markup Validator checks any schema.org markup without Google-specific validation. Use the first to see what Google can do with a page and the second for markup Google has no feature for.

Sources and further reading

• Intro to How Structured Data Markup Works - Google Search Central, updated December 2025. Formats, JSON-LD recommendation, placement.
• General Structured Data Guidelines - Google Search Central, updated July 2026. Visible-content rule, manual actions, no guarantee.
• Latest Google Search Documentation Updates - Google Search Central. Dated entries for FAQ, practice problem, dataset, sitelinks search box, llms.txt, reviews.
• Simplifying the search results page - Google Search Central Blog, June 2025, updated September 2025. The seven phased-out types.
• Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results - Google Search Central Blog, August 2023, updated September 2023. FAQ limits, How-to removal, advice on keeping markup.
• Google's Guide to Optimizing for Generative AI Features on Google Search - Google Search Central, updated July 2026. Structured data and llms.txt for AI features.
• Schema Markup Testing Tool - Google Search Central. What the Rich Results Test and the Schema Markup Validator each do.
• Optimizing Your Content for Inclusion in AI Search Answers - Microsoft Advertising blog, October 2025. Microsoft's statement on schema and AI systems.