THE QUESTIONS SECTION ON YOUR GOOGLE LISTING IS GONE. HERE IS WHAT ANSWERS CUSTOMERS NOW.
Customers used to type a question on your Google listing and wait for someone to answer. Google has removed that Q&A section from Google Maps and replaced it with an AI-powered Ask button that answers on the spot. Those answers come from what is already on your profile and in your reviews, so an empty field now means a weaker answer.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The short answer: Google removed the public Q&A section from Maps and added an Ask feature that gives instant answers based on your Business Profile answers and relevant reviews. Keep services, attributes, hours and photos complete and current, because that is what the answer is built from.
WHAT CHANGED
In December 2025, Search Engine Roundtable reported a Google Product Specialist's announcement that Q&A was being removed from the front end of Google Maps. Google said that as Q&A grew, it became harder for customers to wade through all the questions. In its place, an AI-powered Ask button lets customers ask their question in Google Maps and get an instant answer based on the business's answers and relevant reviews.1
Business owners can still answer existing questions in the Q&A section of their Business Profile. Those answers can still inform what Google shows, but there is no longer a public list of questions for customers to browse.1
Separately, on March 12, 2026, Google announced Ask Maps, a conversational experience for complex, real-world questions, rolling out in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS. Google says Maps draws on information from over 300 million places and reviews from more than 500 million contributors.2
We covered the earlier shutdown of the Q&A API in our September post. This is the customer-facing side of the same change.
WHY YOUR LISTING HAS TO DO THE TALKING
Customers now ask things like "do they take walk-ins?", "is there parking?" or "do they do same-day repairs?" and expect an answer straight away. Nobody from the business is in that conversation. The answer can only be as good as the information Google already has.
If a field is empty, the answer may skip your business, say it does not know, or rely on whatever a reviewer happened to mention. None of those help you win the customer.
THE FIELDS TO FILL THIS WEEK
- Services. List each service you offer, in the words customers use. "Water heater replacement" is clearer than "plumbing solutions".
- Attributes. Parking, accessibility, payment types, walk-ins, appointments and any other attribute Google offers for your category.
- Hours. Regular hours, plus holiday and special hours before each holiday.
- Description. A plain description of what you do and where. Our post on the updates that matter on your profile covers what to keep current.
- Photos. Recent photos of your premises, your team at work and finished jobs, so the listing shows what you actually do.
- Existing Q&A. If your profile still has questions, answer the useful ones accurately in your Business Profile.
Our guide to optimizing a Google Business Profile walks through every field in more detail.
YOUR REVIEWS ARE PART OF THE ANSWER
Google says Ask answers draw on relevant reviews, so what customers write matters. A review that names the service and what happened tells Google far more than "great service". You cannot write reviews for customers, and you should never script them, but you can ask at the right moment and reply to reviews in a way that names the work. Our post on why the words in your reviews matter explains how.
WHAT CHANGES FOR MULTI-LOCATION AND ENTERPRISE BUSINESSES
With many locations, the risk is uneven listings: one branch has every attribute filled in, another has last year's hours and no services. Customers asking Ask about your brand in different neighbourhoods will get different quality answers.
- Set a standard field list. Decide which services and attributes every location must show, and which are local.
- Audit on a schedule. Check a sample of locations each month and every location before major holidays.
- Give each location an owner. The local manager confirms hours and services; a central team checks consistency.
- Review old Q&A in bulk. Answers written years ago may now be wrong. Correct them in each profile.
Our guide to Business Profile for multiple locations covers bulk management, and our enterprise page explains how we support larger brands.
FAQ
Is the Q&A section gone from Google Maps?
Yes. Google removed Q&A from the front end of Google Maps and replaced it with an AI-powered Ask button that gives instant answers.
Where does Google get the answers for Ask?
Google says the answers are based on the business's own answers and relevant reviews. Ask Maps also draws on Google's place information and community reviews.
Can I still answer questions on my Business Profile?
Yes. Business Profile users can continue to answer existing questions in the Q&A section, and those answers can still inform what Google shows.
What should I update first?
Services, attributes, hours including holiday hours, your description and recent photos. Empty fields leave the AI with less to go on.
Where is Ask Maps available?
Google said on March 12, 2026 that Ask Maps was rolling out in the U.S. and India on Android and iOS.
SOURCES
- Search Engine Roundtable, Google Changing Q&A Feature In Google Maps For Ask (December 2025).
- The Keyword (Google), Ask Maps and Immersive Navigation: New AI features in Google Maps (March 12, 2026).
Platforms change often. Check the sources for the current version before acting.
KEEP READING
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