How do I remove an expired job from Google's job results?

Definition: Removing an expired job from Google's job results means marking the vacancy as expired, removing its JobPosting structured data, or deleting its page. JobPosting is structured data that describes a job vacancy to Google.

Key facts

• As of 17 October 2026, Google's JobPosting documentation lists three removal options: a past validThrough date, removal of the markup, or a deleted page returning 404 or 410.
• Google's Indexing API instructions distinguish update notifications (URL_UPDATED) from deletion notifications (URL_DELETED).
• Google's HTTP status documentation explains that previously indexed URLs returning client error responses are removed from the index over time.

How does the expiry date work?

validThrough records when a job posting expires. Google's property definition requires it for postings with an expiration date and specifies ISO 8601 date formatting. The documentation provides this property example:

"validThrough": "2017-03-18T00:00"

This is a field within a job's structured data, rather than a complete markup document. For an expired vacancy, the value must be in the past. If the expiry date is unknown or the posting never expires, Google says to omit the property. When a position is filled before its recorded expiry date, the same documentation directs the publisher to remove the posting through its removal procedure.

Can the page stay online?

Google's removal procedure allows removal of JobPosting structured data from a retained page. It also allows keeping the markup with a populated, past validThrough value. These options accommodate an accessible archive of a closed vacancy.

For a page that is deleted entirely, the procedure specifies an HTTP response status of 404 or 410. The actual server response matters: Google's HTTP guidance explains that an empty page or error message returned with a success response can produce a soft 404, meaning Google treats apparently successful content as an error. Displaying a closure message alone leaves the markup and response status to be checked separately.

How should Google receive the change?

The Indexing API is Google's notification service for eligible page updates and removals. Its usage instructions use URL_UPDATED when content at a previously submitted URL changes. For a retained page whose expiry date or markup changes, this is the update notification.

URL_DELETED requests removal of the URL from Google's index. Before that request, the URL must return 404 or 410, or contain a noindex meta tag, a directive excluding the page from indexing. Removing only JobPosting markup leaves a retained page outside those deletion prerequisites.

Both notification types use an HTTP POST request to this endpoint:

https://indexing.googleapis.com/v3/urlNotifications:publish

What should be checked if the job still appears?

Google's expired-job troubleshooting guidance identifies missing or future validThrough values, remaining JobPosting markup, and application links leading to expired postings as causes to inspect. It also identifies the Search Console message "Structured data policy violation - JobPosting structured data on expired job". When this policy issue applies, the documented workflow includes correcting the posting and submitting the site for reconsideration.

Related terms

• Structured data
• HTTP status codes
• Soft 404
• Can Google's Indexing API submit ordinary business pages?

FAQ

Can I just remove the URL from my sitemap?

Google's job-removal instructions recommend the Indexing API because it prompts crawling sooner than removing the URL from a sitemap. You still need to apply one of the documented expiry, markup-removal, or page-deletion options.

Does a successful API response confirm removal?

An HTTP 200 response to a deletion notification means Google may remove the URL, according to the API documentation. Its notification-status request reports successful submission; it does not report when indexing or removal happens.

Sources

1. Google Search Central, "Job posting (JobPosting) structured data for Job Search", 8 September 2026
2. Google Search Central, "Using the Indexing API", 16 October 2026
3. Google Search Central, "How HTTP status codes affect Google's crawlers", 4 February 2026

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