Google Is Removing More Search Features in 2026 - What SEOs Should Do Next

Google has confirmed another round of Search feature and structured-data deprecations rolling into early 2026, including the Practice Problems experience and several small UI elements like Nutrition Facts, Nearby Offers, and Today’s Doodle boxes. The stated goal is to simplify results and refocus on high-value experiences. This comes via a mix of official documentation updates and public statements summarised by industry press. 

Below, you’ll find what’s changing, why it matters, and a practical playbook to protect your visibility.

‍

What’s Changing (and Where It Was Announced)

Google is phasing out support for Practice Problem (Quiz) structured data in Search and removing visibility/reporting for it in Search Console and the Rich Results Test from January 2026. In addition, Google indicated a set of lesser-used features (e.g., Nutrition Facts panels, Nearby Offers, local bike-share status, and Today’s Doodle) will be retired to reduce UI clutter and improve speed. 

Key context: Google framed this as part of ongoing efforts to “simplify the search results page” and prune features that “aren’t being used very often and aren’t adding significant value.” Industry coverage corroborated and listed examples called out by Google spokespeople.

‍

What’s Being Removed & Why (with likely impact)

Google’s feature clean-up is not just housekeeping - it rebalances engineering effort toward core results. Use the table below to map each removal to its risk profile and decide where to refocus. 

If you’ve invested in markup or landing pages built for the affected features, plan a fallback experience (updated content modules, enhanced product/service pages, or alternative rich results).

‍

Source references: Google documentation updates and public recaps. For the deprecation language and timing, see Google’s update log and the Practice Problems doc; for other removed features, see Search Engine Land’s report and Search Engine Journal. 

‍

What This Means for Structured Data & Reporting

• Practice Problems: Support in Search Console reports and the Rich Results Test will be removed starting January 2026; the API will retain limited support during the transition. Review your markup inventory and remove or replace unsupported types.
• Dataset: Google reiterated that Dataset markup is only for Dataset Search, not general web Search rich results.
• Not the end of schema: Google is trimming low-usage types, not abandoning structured data. Focus on core schemas tied to product, local, review, event, job, and FAQ use-cases where applicable (and permitted).
  
  

‍

Structured-Data Audit Plan (Q1 2026)

Use this 4-step audit to avoid dangling, unsupported markup and to protect your KPIs. The emphasis is on measurement parity (e.g., losing an appearance filter shouldn’t break your reporting) and schema ROI (prioritise markup that consistently correlates with impressions and clicks).

‍

Why these sources? They’re first-party and track the changelog of Search features and schema support. Google for Developers+1

‍

How to Protect CTR & Visibility as Features Disappear

1. Strengthen standard snippets (titles/meta/FAQ blocks) so you’re not reliant on a special panel for clicks.
2. Re-optimise for AI Overviews & core rankings (entity clarity, page helpfulness). BrightEdge data shows discovery is shifting even when final clicks remain search-led. Search Engine Land
3. Double down on Local SEO if you previously leaned on panels like Nearby Offers. Prioritise Google Business Profile optimisation, reviews, and local landing pages.
4. Measure beyond appearances: replace any vanishing Search Console “appearance” filters with position/CTR tracking on affected URLs.
   
   

‍

“Feature-Loss” Contingency Plan

If a feature you’ve relied upon goes away, you still own your content, entity signals, and UX. The table below lists common symptoms after a deprecation (e.g., CTR slipping on pages that used to surface a panel) and immediate actions that restore performance. Assign owners across SEO, content, and dev so fixes are time-boxed.

‍

FAQs (2026 Update)

‍

1) What exactly is being removed?

Confirmed: Practice Problems rich result/markup support (with Search Console reporting and Rich Results Test support removed beginning January 2026). Google also said it will remove Nutrition Facts, Nearby Offers, local bike-share status, and Today’s Doodle boxes as part of a UI simplification push

‍

2) Does this mean Google is abandoning structured data?

No. Google is pruning low-usage or niche types. Core schemas that map to useful surfaces are still supported. Track changes via the official updates log and feature documentation. 

‍

3) What should I do if I used Practice Problems?

Inventory affected pages, remove/replace unsupported markup, and adjust reporting (appearance filters will vanish). Validate the remaining schema using the Rich Results Test and Search Console (while supported) and watch for any crawl errors. 

‍

4) Will I lose traffic?

If your traffic relied on a removed panel, you could see CTR decreases even if rankings hold. Mitigate by strengthening standard snippets, in-page FAQs, and internal linking. Monitor by URL in Search Console and compare CTR before/after. 

‍

5) Is Dataset markup still useful?

Yes - but only for Dataset Search, not for regular Google web results. If you used the Dataset, hoping for rich results in general Search, re-evaluate its ROI.

‍

6) How do these changes relate to AI Overviews and new SERP layouts?

Google is reallocating effort toward core, helpful results and newer experiences. BrightEdge’s analysis shows AI Overviews can influence discovery, but purchase clicks still concentrate in traditional results - make your core listings resilient.

‍

7) What KPIs should I watch during the transition?

Track position, CTR, impressions per affected URL; annotate the January 2026 change; and watch crawl/indexation metrics after markup removal. If you had dashboards tied to specific appearance filters, rebuild them around URL-level trends. 

‍

8) Are any removals reversing (like Book actions)?

Google has reversed or clarified certain features in past cycles. For now, rely on the Google Search developer blog/updates log for authoritative status; don’t assume reinstatement. 

‍

9) What should education or recipe/health sites do?

Education sites should retire Practice Problems markup and strengthen evergreen learning pages. Food/health publishers that counted on Nutrition Facts panels should focus on clean page structure, clear headings, and helpful summaries that win standard snippets and People Also Ask.

‍

10) How often does Google remove features?

Google continuously iterates. 2024-2026 saw several structured-data and UI clean-ups. Keep a quarterly routine: re-read the updates log, re-validate schema, and review SERP features for top URLs. 

‍

References:

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/practice-problems 

https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2025/11/update-on-our-efforts 

https://developers.google.com/search/updates 

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-deprecates-practice-problem-structured-data-in-search/560076/ 

https://searchengineland.com/google-to-remove-more-search-features-including-practice-problems-nutrition-facts-nearby-offers-and-more-464255 

‍