On May 7, 2026, Google removed FAQ Rich Results from all search results - including Google.pl. For Polish websites, with Google controlling over 95% of the search market, the change took effect immediately and without the buffer that alternative search engines provide in other markets. Polish sites that relied on FAQ snippet expansion for CTR on Google.pl saw those snippets disappear within hours of the announcement.
Bottom line: The visual FAQ snippet is gone. FAQPage Schema is not. FAQ Schema continues to work for AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) - AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT Search all use structured data. For Polish sites, AI citation in Polish-language niches is significantly less competitive than English, making this a real opportunity if you act now.
What Happened on May 7: The Announcement and Its Effect on Google.pl
Google Search Liaison announced on May 7, 2026 that FAQ and HowTo Rich Results would no longer appear in search. Polish webmasters and SEO communities confirmed the immediate removal of FAQ snippets from Google.pl the same day.
What was removed from Google.pl:
- Expandable Q&A sections below search results (FAQ Rich Snippet)
- HowTo step-by-step Rich Results
- Additional snippet lines for FAQ content
What remains functional:
- FAQPage Schema code in pages (Google does not penalize it)
- FAQ Schema value for AI citation: Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT Search continue using structured data
- All other Rich Results: Article, Product, Review, VideoObject, Event, BreadcrumbList
Google's stated reason: sites were adding irrelevant FAQ content solely to occupy more SERP space on Google.pl and globally. Google removed the incentive.
Why This Happened: The Polish Market Context
In the Polish search market, FAQ Rich Results were heavily used by Polish SEOs across industries. Legal firms, healthcare providers, financial services companies, and Polish e-commerce sites (including Allegro.pl category pages, OLX.pl help sections, and Ceneo.pl product FAQs) all used the format to expand their search presence.
The removal affects Polish verticals unevenly:
High impact: Polish legal and financial sites (YMYL niches where FAQs were most effective at capturing informational query traffic). Polish local service businesses that used FAQ snippets for "how to" queries.
Lower impact: Polish e-commerce product pages (Product Schema still generates Rich Results). Polish news and media (Article Schema still active).
The AEO Opportunity for Polish Sites
AI Overviews are beginning to appear in Polish-language search results - but the competition for Polish AI citation is far lower than English. When AI Overviews appear for Polish queries and pull FAQ-structured content, Polish sites with proper FAQPage Schema have fewer competitors than English-language sites face for equivalent queries.
Polish SEOs removing FAQPage Schema now would be abandoning this advantage at exactly the wrong moment.
4 Strategies for Polish Sites After FAQ Rich Results Removal
1. Keep FAQPage Schema - Optimize It for AEO
FAQPage Schema in 2026 is primarily an AEO tool for Polish sites. Structure FAQ content so AI systems can extract clear question-answer pairs:
- Questions in Polish should match natural Polish search queries
- Answers should be direct, 40-80 words, complete in themselves
- Reference Polish authoritative sources (GUS, NBP, NFZ, KNF) where relevant for YMYL topics
2. Target Featured Snippets on Google.pl
Featured Snippets remain active. For Polish queries where FAQ snippets previously expanded visibility, Featured Snippets offer a structurally similar advantage. Polish Featured Snippet optimization:
- H2/H3 heading = the exact Polish search query
- Direct answer in the first paragraph under the heading (40-60 words)
- Content that comprehensively answers in the same section
3. Implement HowTo Schema for Process Content
HowTo Rich Results are removed from SERPs, but HowTo Schema still influences AI citation. Polish process content - "how to register a business in Poland," "how to apply for 500+ family benefit," "how to file a complaint with UOKiK" - benefits from HowTo markup for AI Overviews citation.
4. Audit and Expand Active Rich Results
Polish sites should prioritize Schema types that still generate Rich Results on Google.pl:
- Article Schema for Polish blog and news content
- Product Schema for Polish e-commerce (Allegro sellers, Polish online shops)
- Review/AggregateRating for Polish product and service reviews
- VideoObject for Polish YouTube and video content
- LocalBusiness for Polish brick-and-mortar businesses
- Event Schema for Polish conferences, workshops, cultural events
FAQ
Do Polish websites need to remove FAQPage Schema after May 7, 2026?
No. FAQPage Schema continues to support AI citation on Google.pl: AI Overviews, Perplexity, and ChatGPT Search still use it. The SERP Rich Result is gone, but the AEO value remains. Polish sites that remove it lose AI citation support in a niche where competition is low.
Which Polish websites were most affected by FAQ Rich Results removal?
Polish YMYL sites (legal, financial, healthcare), Polish local service businesses, and Polish informational sites that relied heavily on FAQ snippet expansion. Polish e-commerce with Product Schema and Polish news with Article Schema were less affected.
How does Google's 95%+ market share in Poland make FAQ removal more impactful?
With no alternative search engines providing traffic, every Polish site depends entirely on Google.pl. The loss of FAQ snippets has no offsetting traffic from Bing or other sources - making the CTR decline direct and unmitigated.
What is the best replacement for FAQ Rich Results on Polish websites?
Featured Snippets for informational queries, HowTo Schema for process content (with AEO benefits), and expanding Product/Article/Review Schema for pages where those types apply. FAQ Schema should stay for AEO citation purposes.
Is FAQ Schema still worth implementing on new Polish pages in 2026?
Yes, specifically for AEO. Polish-language AI citation through AI Overviews and Perplexity is significantly less competitive than English. New Polish pages with well-structured FAQPage Schema are well-positioned to gain AI citation in Polish-language niches.
Summary
For Polish SEO practitioners, FAQ Rich Results removal is a channel shift, not a schema deprecation. FAQPage Schema's role evolves from SERP snippet expansion to AEO citation - and in Polish-language niches, that role is more valuable now than before, because AI citation competition in Polish is low.
The practical response for Polish sites: keep FAQPage Schema, build Featured Snippet content for informational Polish queries, and implement HowTo Schema for process content. Rynek polski has a window to establish AI citation authority while English-language competition races ahead.
Related: Structured Data in 2026: Complete Guide to What Works | What Is AEO and How to Appear in AI Answers
