Google Structured Data Changes 2025: Your Playbook

Google structured data changes 2025 aren’t theoretical anymore—they’re live, they’re measurable, and they will alter how many sites present in Search. In June, Google began phasing out several lesser‑used rich result types. In September, Search Console removed reporting for six of them. And on November 5, Google reiterated that simplification is ongoing, with more support removed in Google tools starting January 2026. If your dashboards quietly broke, you’re not alone. (developers.google.com)

Here’s the thing: this isn’t a rankings apocalypse. Google has said these changes are about presentation and product surface, not the core ranking systems. But if you used those markups to earn visual enhancements, you can expect plainer snippets and possible CTR swings. The job right now is to clean up markup, fix reporting, and adjust expectations with stakeholders. (developers.google.com)

What exactly changed? A fast, dated timeline

June 12, 2025 — Seven structured data types were marked for retirement from Google Search results: Book Actions, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement, and Vehicle Listing. Google framed this as streamlining rarely used displays; ranking wasn’t affected. (developers.google.com)

September 9, 2025 — Search Console stopped reporting on six of those types (everything above except Book Actions). They were also removed from the Rich Results Test and Search appearance filters; bulk export fields began returning NULL by October 1, and the API continues responses only through December 2025. If your Looker Studio or BigQuery dashboards broke, that’s why. (developers.google.com)

November 5, 2025 — Google published another simplification note: expect ongoing removal of little‑used features and formal tool support removals beginning January 2026. Separately, Google confirmed practice problem markup is being deprecated for Search and clarified that Dataset structured data is only used by Dataset Search. Reporting and testing features tied to these deprecations follow the same wind‑down. (developers.google.com)

Also on November 5, industry reporting highlighted additional non‑schema Search elements being dropped over time—things like the Today’s Doodle box and certain niche widgets. These are housekeeping moves; the theme is “simpler surfaces.” Expect incremental removals rather than one “big” cutover. (searchengineland.com)

Who’s impacted—and how hard?

Teams most affected are those who invested in now‑deprecated markups primarily for their Search display value:

• Employers, job boards, and salary guides using Estimated Salary.
• Course catalogs and edtech sites relying on Course Info or Learning Video.
• Publishers and civic orgs that adopted Special Announcement during COVID‑era messaging.
• Automotive marketplaces that implemented Vehicle Listing.
• Fact‑checking organizations using Claim Review for specialized displays. (Note: reporting was removed for this type in Search Console; presentation in web results has been phased out per the June announcement.) (developers.google.com)

What changes first is visibility of those enhancements, then the reliability of your internal reporting. If your leadership is used to seeing “nice” snippets, they’ll notice when a listing looks more generic. That’s not catastrophe; it’s a chance to refocus on strong title links, meta descriptions, and useful on‑page content that answers the query quickly.

How reporting just changed (and how to fix it)

Here’s what disappeared from Search Console as of September 9: rich result reports and Search appearance filters related to six retired types; Rich Results Test coverage for them; and bulk export fields that now return NULL. API support for those types ends after December 2025. If your queries or dashboards reference those appearances, you’ll see errors or flatlined metrics. (developers.google.com)

Good timing, though: Google just shipped two useful Search Console features in November. First, a branded queries filter automatically splits performance data into “Branded” and “Non‑branded” segments, powered by an AI‑assisted classifier with language variants and typos included. The filter is rolling out and requires sufficient query volume and top‑level properties. Second, custom annotations let you add notes (e.g., “Removed Vehicle Listing schema”) directly on performance charts for shared context. Use both to isolate expected CTR shifts from market noise. (developers.google.com)

Primary question: will these removals hurt rankings?

Google has said these structured data changes are presentation‑level cleanups, not ranking system updates. In other words: expect display differences and possible CTR moves, not an algorithmic penalty. That said, if CTR dips, traffic may follow even with steady positions. This is why measurement and messaging matter now. (developers.google.com)

Google structured data changes 2025: the 10‑day response playbook

Let’s get practical. Here’s a tight process we use with clients to stabilize reporting and reduce surprises:

1. Inventory your schema across templates. Flag any use of: Book Actions, Course Info, Claim Review, Estimated Salary, Learning Video, Special Announcement, Vehicle Listing, plus Practice Problem. Note what powers them (CMS fields, hard‑coded JSON‑LD, or a plugin). (developers.google.com)
2. Decide remove vs. retain. If a type is retired in Google Search and no other consumer (partners, other engines, site features) needs it, schedule removal. If it’s needed elsewhere (e.g., a syndication partner), keep it but stop counting on Google displays. Document the rationale per template.
3. Patch Search Console dashboards. Update saved filters, remove broken Search appearance segments, and add custom annotations noting what changed and when. This prevents month‑over‑month “mystery drops” during QBRs. (developers.google.com)
4. Fix BigQuery and Looker Studio. If you use bulk export, audit queries where Search appearance is referenced. Deprecated fields began returning NULL by October 1. Add IS NULL handling and remove deprecated dimensions. (developers.google.com)
5. Re‑opt CTAs and snippets for templates that lost enhancements. Tighten titles and meta descriptions, add crisp first‑paragraph answers, and surface trust signals (author, date, credentials) high on the page.
6. Segment impact with the new branded queries filter. Measure non‑branded CTR deltas separately from branded. If non‑branded CTR is stable, your category is probably fine; if it’s falling, prioritize those templates. (developers.google.com)
7. Watch documentation changelogs as Google continues removals. Practice Problem is out for Search, Dataset isn’t used by web Search, and Google reiterated tool support removals starting January 2026. Build a monthly check into ops. (developers.google.com)
8. QA markup you keep. Validate remaining JSON‑LD, ensure required properties are present, and strip fields that no longer drive Search features to reduce maintenance debt.
9. Communicate the “why” to stakeholders. Share a one‑pager that says: rankings steady; visual elements simplified; reporting fields removed; we’ve adapted dashboards; we’re tracking non‑branded CTR and conversions.
10. Set an annotation for January 2026 to remind teams that Search Console and API support removals continue—future report changes are expected as cleanup completes. (developers.google.com)

People also ask

Should we delete deprecated schema or leave it?

If no other consumer needs it, remove it to cut complexity and avoid future warnings. If a partner or internal feature consumes it, keep it—but update your documentation so no one expects Google web Search displays from it. Google’s June note made clear those displays are retired; September and November updates confirm the tool wind‑down. (developers.google.com)

Will this affect E‑E‑A‑T or Core updates?

These changes are separate from ranking system updates (like the March 2025 core). Focus your E‑E‑A‑T work on content quality, author transparency, and site trust. Treat the structured data removals as a UX/CTR shift and a reporting migration. (status.search.google.com)

What about Practice Problem and Dataset markup?

Practice Problem is deprecated for Search, and Dataset is only used by Dataset Search—not web Search. If you kept them for other reasons, that’s fine; just don’t expect web Search displays. (developers.google.com)

Could CTR drop even if rankings don’t?

Yes. Fewer visual callouts means snippets look more uniform. That can compress CTR differences at position level. Use the branded queries filter and annotations to segment and explain shifts to your team. (developers.google.com)

Engineering notes: reduce breakage and support your analysts

Search Console bulk export users: if your SQL references deprecated search appearance fields, guard against NULLs and remove obsolete filters. Teams that hard‑coded Search appearance values in ETL pipelines should ship a fix before year‑end so January tool changes don’t break trending. (developers.google.com)

On the site side, target schemas at the template level. Remove dead types in one pass to avoid “half‑migrated” states that confuse QA. If you’re in a governed environment, create a change ticket that includes a test plan (Rich Results Test for still‑supported types, URL inspection for crawl/fetch), a rollback plan, and a comms note for non‑SEO stakeholders.

Finally, resist the urge to over‑replace visual real estate with UI tricks. Invest the same energy in helpful first‑paragraph answers, clearer headline hierarchy, and internal links that guide users. If AI Overviews or other generative surfaces appear for your queries, value‑dense content helps there too. We’ve written about how to adapt content for AI experiences in Search—worth a read if you’re planning 2026 roadmaps. How Gemini changes Search behavior breaks down practical content patterns to test.

How to brief your exec team in one slide

Use this structure:

• What changed: Google retired seven schema displays (June), removed Search Console reporting for six (September), and announced further tool removals from January 2026 (November). (developers.google.com)
• Risk: plain snippets may shift CTR; dashboards referencing deprecated fields will break.
• Mitigation: removed unused schema; patched dashboards; annotated changes; tracking non‑branded CTR separately with the new filter. (developers.google.com)
• Next: monthly doc checks; template UX tests; content refreshes in top non‑branded clusters.

A quick checklist you can run today

• Run a repo‑wide search for the seven retired types; remove or quarantine. (developers.google.com)
• In Search Console, add custom annotations for each removal and for your rollout dates. (developers.google.com)
• Filter non‑branded vs. branded traffic to spot real acquisition impact. (developers.google.com)
• Fix Looker Studio/BigQuery NULLs from deprecated Search appearance columns. (developers.google.com)
• Re‑evaluate snippet copy for affected templates; tighten titles and meta descriptions.
• Bookmark Google’s documentation changelog and review monthly. (developers.google.com)

Zooming out: why this cleanup is happening

As Search experiments with new experiences, keeping too many niche, low‑use widgets creates complexity without matching user value. Google’s public line is consistent: these features “didn’t trigger often” and “didn’t add significant value,” so the company is simplifying the page and improving speed. Expect the cleanup to continue into 2026, with Google communicating via blog posts and doc updates rather than splashy “feature sunsets.” (developers.google.com)

What to do next

For a deeper partner on structured data, technical SEO, and performance, our team can help. See our technical SEO and web performance services, browse recent guidance on our blog, and if you’re planning a multi‑template schema cleanup paired with content refreshes, get in touch. If you’re weighing broader AI‑era content strategy, benchmark your approach against our take in Gemini in Search: what changes now.

Final word

This is housekeeping you can use to your advantage. Ship the cleanup, fix the data pipes, and focus energy where it actually moves the needle: fast pages, trustworthy content, and intent‑matched answers. When the next round of simplification hits—and it will—you’ll be ready, annotated, and already measuring what matters. (developers.google.com)