Google Business Profile Q&A Feature Discontinued: What Business Owners Need to Know
If you've recently noticed the Questions & Answers section missing from your Google Business Profile, you're not alone. Google officially discontinued the Q&A API on November 3, 2025, and the feature is now gradually disappearing from business listings across the platform.
For local business owners who relied on this feature to address customer inquiries and showcase helpful information, this change raises some important questions. What happened? What's replacing it? And most importantly, what should you do now?
Let's break it down.
What Happened to the Google Business Profile Q&A Feature?
The Q&A feature allowed customers to ask questions directly on your Google Business Profile, and business owners (or other users) could provide answers. It was a useful way to address common inquiries about hours, services, pricing, and policies right where customers were searching.
However, Google announced in September 2025 that it would be discontinuing the My Business Q&A API. According to Google's official developer documentation, the change took effect on November 3, 2025.
Google stated they are "in the process of updating the Q&A functionality and user experience," signaling that this isn't just a removal—it's a transition toward something new.
The reality is that many Q&A sections had become outdated, unmoderated, or filled with inconsistent information. For Google, that created a reliability problem they needed to address.
What Is Replacing It? Introducing "Ask Maps"
Google isn't leaving a void. The Q&A feature is being replaced by an AI-powered tool called Ask Maps, which leverages Google's Gemini AI to provide real-time answers to user questions about businesses.
Here's how it works:
Instead of relying on static, user-generated Q&A content, Ask Maps uses AI to analyze multiple data sources and generate answers on the fly. When a potential customer asks a question like "Do they offer gluten-free options?" or "Is this place good for kids?", Gemini pulls from:
Your Google Business Profile information (services, hours, attributes, categories)
Customer reviews on your listing
Photos uploaded to your profile
Your business website
Trusted third-party sources
The feature is currently rolling out in the United States through the Google Maps app, and Google has indicated it will expand to Search as well.
How Does Ask Maps Affect Your Business?
This shift represents a fundamental change in how information about your business is presented to potential customers.
A popular local SEO strategy is now gone. One of the most effective tactics business owners used was posting their own questions on their Google Business Profile and answering them. This allowed you to seed your profile with keyword-rich Q&A content, proactively address common customer concerns, and control the narrative about your business. That strategy is no longer available—you simply can't do it anymore.
You no longer directly control the answers. With the old Q&A feature, you could craft specific responses to customer questions. With Ask Maps, Google's AI determines what information to surface based on the data available about your business. This includes your Google Business Profile, your reviews, and importantly—your website. That's why ensuring your website content is accurate, properly structured, and optimized for AI is becoming more critical than ever. If Google's AI can't easily find and understand the information on your site, it may provide incomplete or inaccurate answers to potential customers.
Your profile data matters more than ever. The quality and completeness of your Google Business Profile directly influences how accurately the AI represents your business. Incomplete or outdated profiles may result in vague or incorrect AI-generated responses.
Reviews carry more weight. Since Gemini analyzes customer reviews to generate answers, what your customers say about you now has a direct impact on how Google describes your business to potential customers.
Some categories are excluded. Google has not enabled Ask Maps for all business types. According to Search Engine Journal, healthcare providers, counseling services, and other regulated industries are currently excluded, likely due to compliance and data sensitivity concerns.
What Should Business Owners Do Now?
The good news is that you can take proactive steps to ensure your business is well-represented in this new AI-driven landscape.
1. Complete and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Make sure every section of your profile is filled out accurately and thoroughly. This includes:
Business name, address, and phone number
Business hours (including special hours for holidays)
Business categories and attributes
Service descriptions
Products and menus (if applicable)
The more detailed and accurate your profile, the better the AI can represent your business.
2. Keep Your Information Current
Regularly update your profile with new photos, services, and descriptions. Stale information can lead to outdated AI responses that don't reflect your current offerings.
3. Actively Manage Your Reviews
Since reviews now directly feed into AI-generated answers, review management is more critical than ever. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, and respond professionally to all feedback—positive and negative.
4. Add FAQ Content to Your Website
Create a dedicated FAQ page on your website that addresses common customer questions. Use FAQ schema markup so search engines can easily identify and pull this information. This helps establish your website as an authoritative source that Google's AI may reference.
5. Monitor Your AI-Generated Presence
Periodically check how your business appears in Ask Maps responses. Search for your business on Google Maps and test the "Ask about this place" feature to see what information is being surfaced.
The Bottom Line
The discontinuation of Google's Q&A feature marks a significant shift toward AI-driven local search. While you may have less direct control over how questions about your business are answered, you have more influence than you might think—through the data you provide and the reputation you build.
Businesses with complete, optimized Google Business Profiles and strong review portfolios will be best positioned to thrive in this new environment.
Need Help Optimizing Your Google Business Profile?
At North County Digital, we specialize in Google Business Profile optimization that helps local businesses show up, stand out, and attract more customers. From profile optimization to review management and local SEO strategy, we'll make sure your business is ready for the AI-powered future of local search.
Schedule a Free Consultation to learn how we can help your business adapt to these changes.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I still add my own questions and answers to my Google Business Profile? No. Previously, business owners could post questions on their own profile and answer them—a popular local SEO tactic for adding keyword-rich content. This is no longer possible with the Q&A feature discontinued.
Is Google removing the Q&A feature entirely? Yes, the Q&A feature is being phased out and replaced with AI-powered "Ask Maps" functionality that generates answers using data from your profile, reviews, and website.
When did Google discontinue the Q&A feature? The Q&A API was officially discontinued on November 3, 2025. The feature is gradually disappearing from listings.
Can I still answer questions about my business on Google? Not through the traditional Q&A format. Instead, you should focus on keeping your Google Business Profile complete and accurate, as this information feeds into Google's AI-generated responses.
What is Ask Maps? Ask Maps is Google's new AI-powered feature that uses Gemini to answer user questions about businesses in real-time, pulling information from Business Profiles, reviews, photos, and websites.
How do I make sure Google's AI represents my business accurately? Keep your Google Business Profile fully optimized with accurate information, current photos, and detailed service descriptions. Actively manage your reviews and add FAQ schema to your website.
