In short. HowTo represents procedural instructions in Schema.org, while Google retires the associated How-to rich results.

Definition: Schema.org defines HowTo as instructions for achieving a result through a sequence of steps. HowTo structured data expresses those instructions using named properties, including step, supply and tool.

Key facts

Schema.org's HowTo vocabulary distinguishes supplies consumed during a task from tools used during it.
A HowToStep represents a step and can contain an ordered list of directions or tips.
As of 17 October 2026, Google's How-to feature announcement, updated on 14 September 2023, records the retirement of How-to rich results, enhanced presentations in Google Search, including desktop results from 13 September 2023.
Google's structured data testing guidance identifies the Schema Markup Validator as the tool for checking Schema.org markup independently of Google features.

How are instructions represented?

The step property accepts individual steps or groups of steps. Schema.org defines a HowToSection as a subgroup within the instructions, giving the example of pie-crust preparation within a pie recipe. This allows a procedure to represent named phases as well as individual actions.

The HowToStep definition describes an ordered list containing HowToDirection or HowToTip items. A direction supplies an instruction; a tip can accompany it within the step.

Schema.org's HowTo example describes changing a flat tire. This shortened JSON-LD extract, a representation of structured data inside an HTML script element, preserves its example values and shows the procedure's identity, duration and a tool:

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "HowTo",
  "name": "Change a Flat Tire",
  "totalTime": "PT30M",
  "tool": {
    "@type": "HowToTool",
    "name": "Lug wrench"
  }
}
</script>

The full example also includes supplies and steps. The vocabulary defines totalTime as the total duration including preparation, expressed in ISO 8601 duration format. Here, PT30M represents thirty minutes.

Does Google support How-to rich results?

Google's September update declares the How-to result type deprecated after extending its removal to desktop. The update supersedes the earlier desktop-only availability described further down the same announcement.

The update also announces the removal of How-to support from the Rich Results Test and the associated Search Console reporting. The Schema.org type remains documented with its properties and examples, so vocabulary validity and Google's search presentation require separate checks.

For Google's AI search features, its AI features and your website guidance says that AI Overviews and AI Mode require no special Schema.org structured data. The same guidance calls for structured data to match the page's visible text. HowTo markup therefore describes the procedure without serving as a special requirement for those features.

How can the markup be checked?

Google's testing guidance assigns different purposes to its tools. The Schema Markup Validator checks Schema.org-based structured data embedded in web pages, without Google feature-specific warnings. The Rich Results Test checks the Google rich results supported by a page's markup.

For a HowTo implementation, the vocabulary check can establish whether the markup uses Schema.org terms correctly. The retired How-to presentation remains a separate product-support question, even when the vocabulary check succeeds.

FAQ

Does valid HowTo markup restore Google's How-to presentation?

No. Google's feature update identifies How-to rich results as deprecated, including the desktop presentation.

Which validator should you use for the vocabulary?

Google's testing documentation directs you to the Schema Markup Validator for generic Schema.org validation. Its scope includes markup beyond Google's supported rich results.

How should you distinguish supplies from tools?

Schema.org's HowTo properties define a supply as consumed during the instructions and a tool as used without being consumed. You can represent them with supply and tool, respectively.

Sources

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