Schema for the AI era: what Google says you don't need, and what still helps.
Vendors sell "AI schema" as the key to AI Overviews. Google's own documentation says there isn't any. Structured data is still useful, just not for the reasons being sold.
If someone sells you schema as your AI strategy, ask them to show you the Google document that says so. It says the opposite.
What Google says
Google's documentation on AI features is direct: there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, you don't need new machine-readable files or AI text files, and there is no special schema.org structured data you need to add. Pages must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
So what is schema for?
- Rich results that still exist: product details, reviews where eligible, breadcrumbs, events, software apps and more. FAQ rich results are now limited to authoritative government and health sites; see FAQ sections.
- Disambiguation: stating that this page is an article by this person, at this organisation, about this product, with these prices and hours.
- Consistency: markup that matches your Business Profile, store listing and visible text removes contradictions other systems might pick up.
A sensible set for most sites
| Type | Where | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Organization | Home and about | Name, logo, profiles, contact |
| Article + Person | Articles | Author, dates (keep dateModified honest) |
| BreadcrumbList | Deep pages | Site structure |
| Product / SoftwareApplication / MobileApplication | Product and app pages | Price, platform, rating where eligible |
| LocalBusiness | Location pages | Address, hours, geo |
| FAQPage | Pages with a visible FAQ | Harmless if it matches; rich result unlikely |
Myths to ignore
- "AI-specific schema" that unlocks AI Overviews. Google says none is needed.
- llms.txt as a ranking lever. No measured effect; see the evidence.
- Marking up content that isn't visible to readers. That violates Google's structured data guidelines.
- More markup is always better. Accurate and consistent beats exhaustive.
Spend the saved time on what actually gets pages cited: answer-first structure, original data and being mentioned.
Questions people ask
Do I need special schema for AI Overviews?
No. Google says there is no special schema.org structured data needed to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
Is structured data still worth adding in 2026?
Yes, for supported rich results and to make facts about your organisation, authors, products and locations unambiguous, as long as it matches the visible page.
Does FAQ schema still produce rich results?
Only for authoritative government and health websites since August 2023. It is harmless elsewhere if it matches visible FAQs.
Want this mapped onto your product?
See how our SEO work runs, or send your store link and a founder will reply personally.
