Is Google Removing the Questions & Answers Feature?

[JoyHawkins]

I got some really awesome info from @krystaltaing that I wanted to share with you all.

Is Q&A gone on Google? No - this has been removed from some surfaces and experiences but it is still available to businesses and consumers.

Current Behavior of Google Q&A

• Q&A shows on businesses in Google Search when you get a map pack and then click on a result.
• Q&A shows on businesses in Google Maps in all types of searches.
• Q&A does not show on search when you get a direct result and Knowledge Panel, without getting a map pack

Examples:

• Search - "Target on Balboa in San Diego" (or something similar that you know will give you the single result, not a list) You will NOT see Q&A on this listing on Google Search. If you do this search on maps, you WILL see Q&A
• Search - "Target San Diego" or "Department stores San Diego". If you are given a map pack of results and you click into any of these results, you will see Q&A
• Business owners will see all Q&A in GBP and via API, and can post and respond as they always have

 

[krystaltaing]

Thanks for sharing Joy!

 

[dale-jepto]

Google has sent an email to say that the current Q&A API is going to be removed in Nov, and they are updating the functionality.

 

[JoyHawkins]

Whoa. So you think they are discontinuing the feature Dale?

 

[dale-jepto]

Yeah, that's how I read it. If it were going to be replaced, there would normally be advanced warning of a migration, but we haven't seen anything on that front.

 

[GMBapi.com]

@dale-jepto & @JoyHawkins - I am more surprised this feature is still live. It makes complete sense for Google to launch some sort of AI answering feature no? Q&A never really worked as intended from Google's POV is my guess. We can still bulk post Q&A's (via tools such as ours or directly through the API) up to the deadline of nov 3rd.

The change is also confirmed in the official GBP API documentation change logs. It's unusual for Google to discontinue the Q&A API on such short notice.

From the 3rd of November, we'll not be able to access and update Q&As via the API.

 

[JS Girard]

The change is also confirmed in the official GBP API documentation change logs. It's unusual for Google to discontinue the Q&A API on such short notice.

When they sunset GBP chat, we got, what, four months warning, wasn't it?