In a move aimed at streamlining search results, Google has decided to phase out the How-To rich results. Despite the announcement, the schema for How-To remains available, but it won’t enhance search results.

Google’s motivation for this change is centered around decluttering its search pages.

Understanding How-To Rich Results Previously, the How-To rich results depended on the HowTo Schema structured data, enabling webpages to potentially feature in a rich result. Although structured data could make a page eligible for this feature, it didn’t guarantee its display.

Going forward, incorporating the how-to structured data won’t offer any advantages to web developers or publishers.

This type of data was once universally displayed across all languages and regions where Google Search operated. There was no previous hint that Google might do away with the how-to rich results for desktop interfaces.

However, this stance has taken a turn.

Now, Google has opted to omit these rich results from desktop search pages altogether.

It’s official: the How-To rich results have been phased out.

In Google’s words:

“In our ongoing mission to simplify search results on Google, we’re including the How-to alterations for desktop. From September 13 onward, How-to rich results will cease to appear on desktop, marking its official deprecation.

This update will reflect in the metrics associated with How-to search visibility in performance reviews, as well as the impressions noted in the How-to enhancement evaluations.

Given that How-to results won’t feature on Google Search anymore, we plan to remove the How-to search visibility, rich result evaluations, and its support in the Rich results test within a month.

For those needing a transition period for their API configurations, support for How-to in the Search Console API will end in approximately 6 months.”