FP TrendingApr 27, 2021 17:18:02 IST
Google is set to shut down its ‘Question-Answer’ section on Google Search, one of the major features of the search engine that showed answers to questions asked by the users, in somewhat related search terms. The feature will no longer be available starting 30 June. The tech giant has updated its support page for the topic, informing users of the update.
The feature was introduced to Google users a couple of years ago. You could type a question in the Google search bar and the results would usually appear either directly related to the question or with a few more “related questions” and answers below them. Google also appears to have allowed publishers to reply to questions posted by users.
Google logo. Image: AP
Google had reportedly developed the feature primarily for the Indian market users. However, the company’s website does not mention this as an India-specific feature.
Google’s documentation, in response to the feature, says, “On Google Search, you can ask and answer questions about what you search. Contributions on Google Search don’t work in all languages and all countries/regions”.
However, some user experiences suggest that the questions and answers may not always have the best results. If you have responded to any questions over the past couple of years, Google suggests that you can head over to Google Takeout to export your search contributions before they disappear from the site at the end of June.
Google’s “Question & Answers” section, the never-ending section of Quora-like quick information snippets was very popular on many search results pages. Google currently allows users to ask questions and respond to questions from both the Google.com webpage and the Google app on smartphones.
