Duplicate FAQ schema issues can negatively affect your website’s SEO by confusing search engines and causing structured data errors in Google Search Console. This problem usually occurs when your website generates multiple sets of FAQ schema for the same content — often caused by plugins, themes, or manual schema scripts overlapping each other.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to identify, troubleshoot, and fix duplicate FAQ schema issues effectively.
Understanding FAQ Schema and Why Duplicates Happen
What Is FAQ Schema?
FAQ schema is a type of structured data markup that helps Google understand your content better. It allows your FAQs to appear directly in search results, improving your website’s visibility and click-through rate (CTR).
Why Duplicate FAQ Schema Is a Problem
When multiple versions of FAQ schema exist on the same page, search engines might flag it as a structured data error. This can prevent your FAQs from appearing in rich results and may reduce your site’s SEO performance. Duplicates often happen when:
- Multiple SEO or FAQ plugins add schema automatically.
- Both the theme and a plugin generate FAQ schema.
- FAQ blocks are manually inserted with JSON-LD code and also automatically generated.
How to Identify Duplicate FAQ Schema Issues
1. Use Google’s Rich Results Test
Go to Google’s Rich Results Test, enter your page URL, and analyze the results. If you see multiple FAQ entries or warnings for duplicated data, that’s your confirmation.
2. Check Google Search Console
In the Enhancements → FAQ section, look for errors like “Duplicate field ‘mainEntity’” or “Duplicate FAQ entries.” This indicates overlapping schema code.
3. Inspect Your Source Code
Right-click on your page → View Source → and search for "FAQPage". If you find multiple schema blocks for FAQs, you’ve confirmed the issue.
How to Fix Duplicate FAQ Schema
1. Disable Automatic Schema Generation from One Source
If you use multiple plugins (e.g., Rank Math, Yoast SEO, or a dedicated FAQ plugin), choose only one to generate FAQ schema and disable the others.
- In Rank Math: Go to Titles & Meta → FAQ Schema → Disable if already added manually.
- In Yoast SEO: Check your block editor; avoid duplicating FAQ blocks with manual code.
2. Remove Manually Added JSON-LD Code
If your page already uses a plugin to generate FAQ schema automatically, remove any custom JSON-LD code from the page builder, theme, or custom HTML section.
3. Check Theme and Plugin Conflicts
Some themes come with built-in schema features. Try disabling them temporarily or use a filter function in functions.php to prevent duplicate FAQ schema output.
Example snippet:
add_filter( 'wpseo_json_ld_output', '__return_false' );
4. Revalidate Your Page
After fixing, recheck your page using Google’s Rich Results Test. Ensure there’s only one FAQ schema block and that it’s error-free.
Best Practices to Prevent Future Duplicate FAQ Schema
- Use only one SEO or FAQ plugin for structured data.
- Avoid mixing manual JSON-LD with automated schema.
- Test new plugins or themes before activating them on live pages.
- Regularly monitor your website with Google Search Console.
Need Help Fixing Duplicate FAQ Schema?
If this guide feels too technical or you’re still seeing errors after following these steps, I can help you fix it quickly and safely. I offer professional SEO and technical support to clean up schema issues, optimize your structured data, and improve your website’s search visibility.
Contact me today to get your site back on track!