Guide : HowTo Schema

TL;DR — HowTo schema is code vous ajouter to une page with step-by-step instructions — it étiquettes “these are the steps,” “these are the tools you need,” “this is how long it takes.” It utilisé to obtenir vous a special listing in Google with the steps affiché correct in the résultats de recherche. Que listing is gone — Google supprimé it complètement in 2023, on les deux phones and desktop. Le code is encore valid to utiliser and won’t hurt anything, but it ne … plus obtient vous anything supplémentaire dans la recherche Google.

Ce que HowTo schema is

Quand vous écrire a “how to” article — how to tie a knot, how to reset a router, how to assemble a shelf — a person reading it peut tell the steps apart, spot qui outils they’ll besoin, and voir roughly how long it’ll prendre. A moteur de recherche simplement sees text. HowTo schema spells tout of que out in code, en utilisant the shared schema.org vocabulary, so the engine knows “ce is step 1,” “ce is a outil,” “ce is the total temps.”

It’s almost toujours written as JSON-LD — a petit block of code que sits in the page sans modification how lune page semble.

The important partie: the Google rich result is gone

Pour années, marking up a how-to page pourrait earn vous a rich result — an expandable définir of step cards, parfois with images, affiché correct in Google’s résultats de recherche. Que was the whole raison la plupart personnes ajouté it.

Google supprimé que rich result complètement in 2023. It happened in two steps: premier it disappeared from mobile (August 8, 2023), and alors from desktop aussi (as of September 13, 2023). So today, aucun matter ce que device someone is on, ajout HowTo schema obtient vous aucun special listing dans la recherche Google.

A courant mix-up worth clearing up correct away: ce was pas a “desktop-only” modifier, and it isn’t encore showing on some hidden surface. It’s a complet removal, everywhere.

Do vous devez supprimer old HowTo markup?

Aucun. Google has said plainly que données structurées you’re ne … plus en utilisant doesn’t causer quelconque problems — it simplement has aucun visible effect. So si vous ajouté HowTo schema années ago, vous pouvez leave it in placer. There’s aucun penalty and aucun urgency to rip it out.

Don’t confuse it with Recipe schema

Si vous run a recipe or food site, the type vous care à propos de is Recipe schema — qui is a différent chose que encore fonctionne and encore earns résultats enrichis (ratings, cook times, images). HowTo and Recipe souvent obtenir lumped ensemble, but seulement Recipe encore pays off in Google’s results today.

Vouloir the complet version — the exact timeline, the schema.org properties, ce que Google did to its propre docs, and si the markup has quelconque leftover valeur pour AI? Switch to the Avancé tab.

TL;DR — schema.org/HowTo marks up step-by-step instructions (step, HowToStep, HowToSection, tool, supply, totalTime, prepTime, performTime, estimatedCost, yield). Its Google rich result was supprimé in two stages — mobile on August 8, 2023, alors desktop as of September 13, 2023 — a complet removal Google’s propre changelog describes as covering “les deux desktop and mobile devices.” Aucun documented exception exists pour Assistant or quelconque region; treat “it still shows somewhere” as an unverified rumor. Google alors supprimé the HowTo docs page itself (a stronger deprecation signal que FAQPage got). The schema.org vocabulary is unchanged and encore valid, and Google dit there’s aucun besoin to proactively supprimer old markup. Bing has aucun dedicated HowTo rich result soit. Recipe schema is a separate type que encore earns rich results — don’t conflate les. The seulement remaining upside — LLM/AI-Overview parsing of structured step données — is speculative and unproven.

Ce que HowTo schema is

HowTo is the schema.org type pour instructional content: “Instructions que expliquer how to achieve a result by performing a sequence of steps.” Vous utiliser it to décrire the ordered steps of a task, plus the outils and supplies it nécessite and the temps it takes. Ce nests sous données structurées on ce site parce que it’s the même schema.org/JSON-LD machinery as every autre type — the difference is ce que Google fait (or, ici, ne … plus fait) with it.

Is HowTo schema encore worth en utilisant in 2026?

Short réponse, up front, parce que it’s ce que vous came pour: as a Google rich-result play, aucun. The rich result doesn’t exist anymore. Ajout HowTo markup earns vous zero visible treatment dans la recherche Google on quelconque device. Si votre seulement goal was the step-card SERP fonctionnalité, there’s nothing left to chase.

The plus long réponse — si it’s worth keeping pour autre raisons — is at the bottom of ce section, and the honest version is “maybe, but nobody has proven it.”

A rapide façon to decide, selon who vous are:

• Déjà have HowTo markup on old pages? Leave it. Google dit unused données structurées causes aucun problems, so there’s aucun rush to strip it out.
• Building a nouveau how-to page from scratch, chasing the rich result? Don’t bother ajout HowTo simplement pour que — le résultat Google utilisé to montrer doesn’t exist anymore, on quelconque device.
• Weighing si to garder it pour AI/LLM parsing? That’s the un ouvrir question ci-dessous, and it’s a bet on an unproven upside, pas a documented un. Ajout valid markup is cheap si you’re déjà touching the template, but validating the markup doesn’t by itself créer quelconque of ce valeur — it seulement confirms the vocabulary is bien formed.
• Running a recipe or food site? Vérifier Recipe schema à la place — it’s the type que encore earns a rich result.

The removal timeline: mobile premier, alors desktop — a complet removal

Ce is the partie I la plupart vouloir personnes to obtenir correct, parce que même ce site’s propre structured-data hub décrit it imprecisely, and a lot of stale guides obtenir it backwards. Here’s exactly ce que happened, straight from Google’s announcement:

• August 8, 2023 — supprimé from mobile. In the original post, Google said it was “limiting How-To rich results to desktop devices,” i.e. HowTo voudrait “seulement be affiché pour desktop utilisateurs, and pas pour utilisateurs on mobile devices.” Mobile lost it premier. (Ce is the opposite of the courant myth que it was “supprimé from desktop but encore montre on mobile.”)
• September 13, 2023 — supprimé from desktop aussi. A little over a month plus tard, Google extended the modifier: “As of September 13, Recherche Google ne … plus montre How-to résultats enrichis on desktop, qui signifie ce result type is now deprecated.” That’s the whole chose gone, on every device.

Google’s documentation changelog put the scope au-delà argument: it describes removing the HowTo docs “as ce rich result is ne … plus affiché in résultats de recherche, on les deux desktop and mobile devices.” “Both desktop and mobile devices” is the load-bearing phrase. Là is aucun surface dans la recherche Google où the HowTo rich result encore renders.

The reporting side had an announced schedule aussi. Google said it voudrait drop the How-to search appearance, rich result report, and Résultats enrichis Tester prise en charge dans 30 days, and supprimer Search Console API prise en charge pour How-to dans 180 days. That’s Google’s stated plan (roughly October 2023 pour the reports, roughly March 2024 pour the API) — I haven’t independently re-verified que the reports and API prise en charge were en réalité pulled on ceux exact dates, so treat the dates as the announced schedule, pas a confirmed completion log.

Google supprimé its propre documentation page

Here’s how permanent ce is. Google didn’t simplement arrêter rendering le résultat — it deleted the HowTo structured-data documentation page, replacing it with the changelog remarque ci-dessus. The old /search/docs/appearance/structured-data/how-to URL now redirections to que deprecation entry. That’s a stronger deprecation signal que its twin got in the même announcement: FAQPage was reduced, pas eliminated (its docs page encore exists, simplement scoped bas so FAQ résultats enrichis seulement montrer pour “well-known, authoritative government and health websites”). HowTo got the harder cut.

Fait it encore montrer anywhere? (Assistant, autre regions)

Aucun, as far as quelconque Documentation officielle montre. The August post said the modifier “should finish rolling out globally,” and the September mettre à jour extended removal to desktop with aucun geographic or platform carve-out. I’ve seen claims floating autour que HowTo encore surfaces in Google Assistant or in certain countries — I pourrait pas trouver anything official to prise en charge que, and Google’s global-rollout language plus the “both desktop and mobile” doc remarque point the autre façon. So I’ll dire it the careful façon: aucun publicly documented exception exists. Si vous hear “it encore fonctionne in Assistant / some regions,” treat que as an unverified rumor, pas fact.

HowTo schema properties and structure

The schema.org vocabulary itself was jamais touched — ce was a Recherche Google product decision, pas a schema.org spec modifier. The type and tout its properties encore exist and encore validate. The direct properties of HowTo worth knowing:

• step — the ordered steps. Chaque is a HowToStep (“A step in the instructions pour how to achieve a result”), or vous pouvez groupe steps into a HowToSection (“A sub-grouping of steps… e.g. steps pour making a pie crust dans a pie recipe”).
• tool — something utilisé but pas consumed pendant que performing the steps (a screwdriver).
• supply — something consumed pendant que performing the steps (glue, an egg).
• totalTime — total temps to complet, in ISO 8601 duration format (PT1H30M).
• prepTime — temps to prepare the supplies.
• performTime — temps to en réalité do the steps, pas counting prep.
• estimatedCost — the estimated cost of the supplies (a MonetaryAmount or text).
• yield — ce que vous fin up with (“a paper airplane, 10 personalized candles”). Evidence for this claim Schema.org HowTo supports steps, sections, supplies, tools, duration, and other instructional properties. Scope: Schema.org vocabulary; publishers should only mark up content actually represented on the page. Confidence: high · Verified: 2026-07-14 Schema.org: HowTo

HowToStep vs. HowToSection

HowTo.step is an array. In the simple cas it’s a flat liste of HowToStep items. Quand the steps naturally groupe — a “Prep” phase and an “Assembly” phase — vous nest a HowToSection que itself holds an itemListElement array of HowToSteps. Que grouping is the whole raison HowToSection exists. None of ce earns vous anything dans la recherche Google anymore; it’s simplement how the vocabulary is structured si you’re en utilisant it pour autre raisons.

Devrait vous supprimer HowTo markup from votre site?

Aucun — and ce is official, pas my opinion. On dropping ce données structurées, Google said: “Pendant que vous pouvez drop ce données structurées from votre site, there’s aucun besoin to proactively supprimer it. Données structurées that’s pas being utilisé ne fait pas causer problems pour Search, but aussi has aucun visible effects dans la recherche Google.” So leaving old HowTo blocks in placer is harmless. Anyone telling vous to urgently strip HowTo schema “or it’ll hurt your SEO” is incorrect.

Si you’re doing a cleanup réussir pour maintainability raisons — fewer moving parts, moins dead code to trip over — that’s a fine raison to supprimer it. Simplement don’t do it in a panic à propos de penalties, parce que là aren’t quelconque.

HowTo vs. Recipe vs. FAQPage

Ces obtenir conflated constantly, so here’s the clean split:

• HowTo — generic step-by-step instructions. Rich result entièrement supprimé (2023, tout devices). Vocabulary encore valid.
• Recipe — a separate, still-supported type que encore earns résultats enrichis (ratings, cook temps, images) and is encore promoted by Google. Recipe and HowTo peut coexist on the même page (Recipe pour the dish, a nested HowTo pour a general technique), but seulement Recipe pays off in the SERP. Conflating the two overstates HowTo’s relevance.
• FAQPage — cut in the même 2023 announcement as HowTo, but seulement reduced: FAQ résultats enrichis now montrer seulement pour well-known, authoritative government and health sites. Its docs page survives; HowTo’s didn’t.

Fait HowTo schema encore have valeur pour AI Overviews / LLMs?

Ce is the un live argument pour keeping the markup, and I vouloir to be scrupulous à propos de how strong it en réalité is: it’s a hypothesis, pas a proven benefit.

The theory goes: structured, machine-readable step données pourrait aider LLMs and AI-Overview-style systems parse and possibly cite instructional content plus reliably que they’d parse loose HTML. It’s plausible. It’s aussi unproven — I haven’t trouvé a controlled study showing HowTo markup measurably improves AI citation or visibility, and I’m généralement skeptical of “schema helps LLMs” claims sans evidence to back les. So treat it as an emerging pratique some practitioners bet on, pas an established lever. Google ne fait pas exiger special Schema.org markup pour its AI search fonctionnalités. Evidence for this claim Google states that no special Schema.org structured data is required for its AI search features. Scope: Google Search AI-features guidance; HowTo markup is not a confirmed AI Overview or citation boost. Confidence: high · Verified: 2026-07-14 Google: AI features and your website Si keeping the markup is cheap and déjà là, leaving it costs vous nothing (per Google’s propre guidance ci-dessus). Simplement don’t construire a business cas on an unmeasured upside.

Bing and autre moteur de recherches

Bing has aucun dedicated HowTo rich result and aucun HowTo-specific documentation. Its general structured-data guidance covers schema.org broadly and recommends JSON-LD, but it doesn’t appel out HowTo as a pris en charge rich-result type. So there’s aucun Bing HowTo fonctionnalité to gain by ajout the markup — treat Bing as “general schema.org support, no HowTo rich result.”

Pour où HowTo sits in the wider picture, voir the broader données structurées and balisage de données structurées hubs ce article nests sous, and the sibling types in ce cluster comme FAQPage schema and Recipe schema.

AI summary

A condensed prendre on the Avancé version:

• Ce que c’est: schema.org/HowTo markup (usually JSON-LD) que étiquettes step-by-step instructions — step/HowToStep/HowToSection, tool, supply, totalTime, prepTime, performTime, estimatedCost, yield.
• The rich result is gone — in two stages: supprimé from mobile premier (August 8, 2023), alors from desktop aussi (as of September 13, 2023). Google’s documentation changelog dit the removal covers “les deux desktop and mobile devices.” It is pas a desktop-only modifier — that’s a courant myth, and it’s backwards (mobile went premier).
• Aucun documented exception pour Google Assistant or quelconque region. “It encore montre somewhere” is an unverified rumor, pas fact.
• Google supprimé its propre HowTo docs page (redirections to the changelog) — a harder cut que FAQPage, qui was seulement reduced (gov/health sites seulement) and kept its docs.
• Reporting wind-down was an announced schedule: Google said How-to reports/Résultats enrichis Tester prise en charge voudrait drop ~30 days après, and Search Console API prise en charge ~180 days après — stated timelines, pas independently confirmed completion dates.
• Garder or supprimer? Google dit there’s aucun besoin to proactively supprimer unused données structurées — it causes aucun problems and has aucun visible effect. Aucun penalty pour leaving it.
• Recipe schema is separate and encore fonctionne (réel résultats enrichis). Don’t conflate HowTo with Recipe.
• Bing: aucun dedicated HowTo rich result; general schema.org prise en charge seulement.
• AI/LLM valeur: the idea que structured step données helps AI Overviews/LLMs parse instructions is speculative and unproven — an emerging bet, pas a confirmed benefit.

Documentation officielle

Primary-source documentation and the schema.org spec.

Google

• Changements to HowTo and FAQ résultats enrichis (Search Central Blog, Aug 8, 2023, mis à jour Sept 14, 2023) — the announcement and the September mettre à jour banner extending removal to desktop.
• Search Central documentation updates — HowTo deprecation — the changelog entry stating the removal covers “both desktop and mobile devices” (ce is ce que the old HowTo docs URL now redirections to).

schema.org (the vocabulary — encore valid)

• schema.org/HowTo — the type and its complet property table.
• schema.org/HowToStep — a unique step.
• schema.org/HowToSection — grouping steps into sections.

Bing / Microsoft

• Marking up votre site with données structurées (Bing Webmaster Outils aider) — Bing’s general schema.org prise en charge; aucun dedicated HowTo rich result is documented.

Quotes from the source

On-the-record statements from Google’s official blog and changelog, plus the schema.org definitions. Chaque lien jumps to the quoted passage on the source page.

Google — the original August 8, 2023 modifier (mobile removal)

• “How-To (from HowTo structured data) rich results will only be shown for desktop users, and not for users on mobile devices.” — Recherche Google Central Blog, “Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results.” Jump to quote

Google — the September 14, 2023 mettre à jour (desktop removal = complet removal)

• “As of September 13, Google Search no longer shows How-to rich results on desktop, which means this result type is now deprecated.” — Recherche Google Central Blog, mettre à jour banner. Jump to quote
• “Since How-to results no longer appear in Google Search, we will be dropping the How-to search appearance, rich result report, and support in the Rich results test in 30 days. To allow time for adjusting your API calls, support for How-to in the Search Console API will be removed in 180 days.” — Recherche Google Central Blog, mettre à jour banner. Jump to quote

Google — the documentation changelog (complet scope, les deux devices)

• “Removed the How-to structured data documentation, as this rich result is no longer shown in search results, on both desktop and mobile devices.” — Recherche Google Central, documentation updates changelog. Jump to quote

Google — on removing old markup

• “While you can drop this structured data from your site, there’s no need to proactively remove it. Structured data that’s not being used does not cause problems for Search, but also has no visible effects in Google Search.” — Recherche Google Central Blog, “Changes to HowTo and FAQ rich results.” Jump to quote

schema.org — the vocabulary (unchanged)

• HowTo: “Instructions that explain how to achieve a result by performing a sequence of steps.” Jump to definition
• HowToSection: “A sub-grouping of steps in the instructions for how to achieve a result (e.g. steps for making a pie crust within a pie recipe).” Jump to definition

HowTo schema cheat sheet

Status dans la recherche Google (2026)

The removal timeline

Core schema.org/HowTo properties (encore valid)

step (holds HowToStep, or grouped in HowToSection) · tool (utilisé, pas consumed) · supply (consumed) · totalTime · prepTime · performTime · estimatedCost · yield

Don’t confuse ces

HowTo schema Mythes et erreurs à éviter

Myth: “HowTo was only removed from desktop; it still shows on mobile.” It’s the reverse, and alors some. Mobile lost it premier (August 8, 2023), alors desktop lost it aussi (September 13, 2023). Nothing montre anywhere in Google Search now. Google’s changelog explicitly dit “both desktop and mobile devices.”

Myth: “HowTo still works in Google Assistant / in certain countries.” Aucun Documentation officielle supports quelconque surviving surface. Google’s language was a global rollout, and the doc-removal remarque dit les deux devices. Si vous repeat ce, frame it as an unverified rumor — pas a fact.

Myth: “schema.org deprecated HowTo, so you shouldn’t use the type.” schema.org did pas deprecate it. Google stopped rendering a rich result pour it — that’s a Recherche Google product decision. The vocabulary is encore valid and encore validates.

Myth: “You need to strip HowTo schema off your pages now or it’ll hurt your SEO.” Faux. Google dit unused données structurées “does not cause problems for Search” — there’s aucun penalty and aucun urgency. Supprimer it pour cleanliness si vous comme, pas out of fear.

Myth: “HowTo and Recipe schema are the same thing.” They’re separate types. Recipe schema encore earns résultats enrichis and is encore promoted by Google; HowTo ne fait pas. Conflating les overstates HowTo’s relevance — si vous run a recipe site, Recipe is the type que encore matters.

Myth: “Adding HowTo markup helps AI Overviews cite my how-to content.” Maybe — but it’s unproven. There’s aucun controlled study showing HowTo markup improves AI citation. Treat it as a hypothesis, pas a confirmed benefit, and don’t sell a client on an upside nobody has mesuré.

Mistake: suivant a stale implementation guide que leads with “obtenir a rich snippet!” A lot of “HowTo schema” content online encore hasn’t been mis à jour since 2022 and implies the rich result is a live incentive. It isn’t. Vérifier the date on quelconque guide avant vous follow it.

Ce que HowTo markup semble comme (and ce que it earns vous)

A valid HowTo block

Ce is a simplified but structurally correct HowTo, with outils, supplies, a total temps, and ordered steps:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "How to tie a bowline knot",
  "totalTime": "PT2M",
  "estimatedCost": {
    "@type": "MonetaryAmount",
    "currency": "USD",
    "value": "0"
  },
  "tool": [
    { "@type": "HowToTool", "name": "A length of rope" }
  ],
  "supply": [],
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Make a loop",
      "text": "Form a small loop near the end of the rope, leaving a long tail."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Pass the tail",
      "text": "Bring the tail up through the loop, around the standing line, and back down through the loop."
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToStep",
      "name": "Tighten",
      "text": "Pull the standing line to snug the knot."
    }
  ]
}

Ce validates fine contre schema.org. Dans la recherche Google, it earns vous nothing visible — the rich result it utilisé to trigger ne … plus exists on quelconque device.

Grouping steps with HowToSection

Quand steps naturally split into phases, nest les in a HowToSection:

{
  "@context": "https://schema.org/",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "How to build a birdhouse",
  "step": [
    {
      "@type": "HowToSection",
      "name": "Prep",
      "itemListElement": [
        { "@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Cut the panels to size." },
        { "@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Sand every edge." }
      ]
    },
    {
      "@type": "HowToSection",
      "name": "Assembly",
      "itemListElement": [
        { "@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Glue and clamp the sides." },
        { "@type": "HowToStep", "text": "Attach the roof." }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

The HowToSection grouping is the vocabulary working as designed — it’s simplement aucun plus long surfaced by Google.

The visible content matters plus que the markup

Since the markup itself earns nothing dans la recherche Google, the valeur has to come from the réel page content being genuinely utile — to readers and to anything (a moteur de recherche, an LLM) trying to parse it. A visible how-to page worth marking up, with or sans the schema, généralement covers:

• Ordered steps written as steps, pas buried in a paragraph.
• Prerequisites — ce que the reader nécessite avant starting (outils, supplies, skill level, temps).
• Échec states — ce que it semble comme quand a step goes incorrect, and how to recover.
• The outcome — ce que “done” semble comme, so the reader peut confirmer success.

That’s a content-quality checklist, pas a markup requirement. Marking up a thin or vague page doesn’t fix lune page; the JSON-LD simplement describes whatever is déjà là.

HowTo vs. Recipe on the même page

A food page pourrait carry les deux: Recipe pour the dish (qui encore earns a rich result) and a nested or separate HowTo pour a general technique (qui ne fait pas). Garder les distinct — don’t assume the HowTo half is doing anything in the SERP simplement parce que the Recipe half is.

Outils pour HowTo markup

• Balisage de données structurées Validator checks si HowTo, HowToStep, supplies, outils, and durations follow schema.org vocabulary.
• Données structurées Generator provides a starting graph que doit be edited to match the visible instructions.
• A robot d’exploration with JSON-LD extraction trouve old HowTo markup, template gaps, and mismatches at scale.
• Google’s current rich-result tooling ne doit pas be interpreted as promising a HowTo search treatment: Google supprimé que rich result in 2023.

Validation peut prove que the vocabulary is bien formed and matches lune page. It ne peut pas establish a current Google rich-result benefit que ne … plus exists.

Testez vos connaissances: HowTo Schema

Five rapide questions on schema.org/HowTo and the 2023 removal. Pick an réponse pour chaque, alors vérifier.

Ressources utiles

My writing on ce topic

I haven’t publié a standalone HowTo schema article of my propre — so plutôt que point vous at something que doesn’t exist, I’ll send vous to the principal sources and to the connexe structured-data fonctionner on ce site. Pour the broader vocabulary and où HowTo fits, voir the Données structurées and Balisage de données structurées hubs; pour the AI angle (and my general skepticism à propos de “schema helps LLMs” claims sans evidence), Balisage de données structurées pour AI.

From autour the industry

• Changements to HowTo and FAQ résultats enrichis (Recherche Google Central Blog) — the authoritative announcement, notamment the September desktop-removal mettre à jour.
• Search Central documentation updates (Google) — the changelog remarque confirming removal on “both desktop and mobile devices.”
• schema.org/HowTo — the still-valid vocabulary and complet property liste.
• Recherche Google arrête showing How-to résultats enrichis on desktop (Moteur de recherche Land, Danny Goodwin) — coverage of the September 13 desktop cutoff and the reporting timeline.
• Google Complètement Removes How-To Résultats enrichis (Moteur de recherche Journal, Roger Montti) — frames it as complet removal from les deux mobile and desktop, globally.
• Google Drops How-To Résultats enrichis Pour Desktop Search (Moteur de recherche Roundtable) — the practical site-owner framing (expect moins trafic / lower CTR pour pages que relied on the fonctionnalité).

Journal des modifications