FAQ System (Frequently Asked Questions)
Create, categorize, and manage FAQ entries in your XONIC Shop System—with ContentEditor, AI support, and DeepL translation. From XONIC 4.10 you can also show selected questions directly on the product page.
What is the FAQ system?
Your integrated module for frequently asked questions—right in the store.
The FAQ system (menu item CMS → FAQ) allows you to manage frequently asked questions in a structured way and display them on the front end. It’s ideal for:
- Reducing the burden on customer support —proactively answer recurring questions and reduce support inquiries.
- Product information —Explain technical details, materials, or usage instructions.
- Legal questions —Provide information on returns, warranties, data protection, and shipping.
- SEO boost – FAQ content is recognized by search engines as relevant content.
FAQ entries are organized into categories, support multiple languages, and can be visually designed using the xoContentEditor.
Create a new FAQ entry
Step-by-step guide to creating your FAQ.
Navigation
Open CMS → FAQ in the admin menu. Optionally, select a category.
New Entry
Click Create New FAQ Entry in the toolbar.
Question & Answer
Formulate the question and enter a detailed answer —using TinyMCE or the Content Editor.
Save
Set the status to Active and save. The entry will be visible immediately.
Fields in Detail
Which input fields are available, and which are required?
Content Fields
- Question ( Required ) – The FAQ question as it appears on the front end.
- Detailed Answer ( Required ) – The main content. Optionally via TinyMCE or xoContentEditor.
- Short Answer – Optional summary, e.g., for previews.
- Images – Up to 3 images per FAQ entry with individual image captions (alt text).
- URL Link / Link Name – Optional external or internal link.
Settings Fields
- Status – Active (visible) or Inactive (backend only).
- Top FAQ (Sticky) – Highlights the entry as particularly important.
- Sort Order – Numeric position in the list view.
- Category – Thematic classification of the FAQ entry.
- Available from – Optional date for time-controlled visibility.
xoContentEditor – Visual page builder
Design your FAQ answers professionally—no HTML knowledge required.
In the answer field of each FAQ entry , you’ll find the “Answer (xoContentEditor)” toggle . Activate this toggle to use the visual editor.
Benefits of the xoContentEditor:
- Drag & Drop – Organize your answer using rows and columns (FlexibleGrid).
- 17 widget types – text, image, video, button, accordion, tabs, cards, testimonials, tables, timelines, counters, and more.
- Templates – Save and load reusable layouts.
- Responsive – Answers automatically adapt to mobile devices.
Tip: For simple question-and-answer pairs, the TinyMCE editor is often sufficient. Use the ContentEditor for more complex guides that include images, tables, or accordions.
Manage FAQ Categories
Organize your FAQs by topic.
Create Categories
Create categories using the “New FAQ Category” button in the toolbar. Categories offer:
- One name per language
- An optional description
- A sort order
- A status toggle (Active/Inactive)
Assign and move entries
Each FAQ entry is assigned to a category. Additionally, you can:
- Move – Transfer entries to a different category.
- Link – Display the same entry in multiple categories (one record, multiple assignments).
- Duplicate – Create a complete copy, including all content.
Status & Top FAQs
Control visibility and highlighting.
Status (Active/Inactive)
Each FAQ entry and category has a status toggle:
- Active – The entry is visible on the front end.
- Inactive – The entry is visible only in the backend.
Top FAQ (Sticky)
Mark particularly important entries as Top FAQs:
- Top FAQs are pinned to the top in certain views.
- You can use the “Top FAQs Only” filter to display only these entries.
- The toggle is available directly in the list view.
Filter, Search & Sort
Stay organized even with a large number of FAQs.
Filter
- Active Only
- Inactive Only
- Top FAQs Only
- Categories Only
- Entries Only
- Filter by category
Live Search
Enter at least 2 characters in the search field—results are automatically filtered in real time (300 ms debounce). The search scans questions and answers.
Sort
Sort by question, sort order, creation date, modification date, status, or sticky—in ascending or descending order.
AI Support & Translation
Smart tools for efficient FAQ management.
AI-Generated Answers
The AI button analyzes your question and automatically generates a suitable suggested answer. You review and refine the result—ideal as a starting point for well-written answers.
DeepL Translation
Translate all FAQ fields (question, short and long answers, image captions) into all store languages with a single click. Each language version can then be customized individually.
FAQs on the product page
From XONIC 4.10, questions and answers from your FAQ system appear right on the product page – globally, per category, per manufacturer or per product. Fully contained in the page HTML so that AI search engines such as ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Google AI can read and quote them.
At a glance
- What is new: question-and-answer pairs from the FAQ system appear as a dedicated section on the product page – in the page HTML and additionally as FAQPage structured data.
- Four scopes: global, product category (optionally including subcategories), manufacturer and individual product. Order on the page: product → category → manufacturer → global.
- Cap: at most 6 questions per product page, at most 2 of them global (defaults; adjustable 1–12 and 0 up to the maximum).
- One data store: you keep maintaining your FAQs under CMS → FAQ article and merely assign them – no second text field on the product.
- Available from XONIC 4.10. We take care of the setup during the update; afterwards you only assign your FAQs.
Why it matters
AI search engines answer product questions from the text they find on your page. Question-and-answer pairs are among the most quotable formats a product page can offer: a clearly worded question as a heading, followed by a complete answer. That is exactly how XONIC renders the section – real headings with the full answer in the server HTML, plus structured data (FAQPage). There is no second data store: you keep maintaining your FAQs in one place and merely assign them.
The FAQ section on the product page (German demo shop): questions as headings, the first answer open, below it the link to your FAQ page. Click to enlarge.
What not to expect
Google has not shown FAQ rich results since May 2026. The section serves visibility in AI answers, not a special appearance in Google Search. Whether and how often a page is quoted depends on many factors – nobody can promise it.
How to assign FAQs
On the FAQ: product page scope
In the backend open CMS → FAQ article and edit an entry. Below the sort order you will find the panel “Product page scope”:
- All product pages (global) – appears on every product page (per page at most the configured number of global FAQs, default 2).
- Product categories – with the “+” behind a category the FAQ also applies to all subcategories.
- Manufacturers / brands – multiple selection, applies to all products of the manufacturer.
- Single products – via the product picker. Assignments on the main product also apply to the pages of its variants.
The “Product page scope” panel in the FAQ editor (German backend). Click to enlarge.
The FAQ list shows markers (G / C / M / P for global, categories, manufacturers, products) in the column “Product page” and offers the filter “only with product page assignment”.
On the product: “FAQ” tab
The product form has a “FAQ” tab. At the top you see which FAQs actually appear on this product page and by which route (product, category, manufacturer, global) – and why an FAQ currently does not appear (inactive, publication date in the future, missing translation, no active FAQ category, cap reached). Below, you assign individual FAQs directly (“Assign FAQ”) or create a new FAQ that is assigned immediately (“Create new FAQ”). Changes are saved with “Update”.
The “FAQ” tab shows what the product page renders – and why an FAQ is not shown (German backend). Click to enlarge.
The “Assign FAQ” window with live search across question, ID and FAQ category; the second tab creates a new FAQ (German backend). Click to enlarge.
When an FAQ appears on the product page
- The FAQ is active.
- The publication date is empty or reached.
- Question and answer exist in the respective shop language (no automatic fallback language – the DeepL translation catches up).
- An assignment matches the product.
- The FAQ belongs to at least one active FAQ category.
If an FAQ matches a product by several routes, the most specific one counts – a question never appears twice on one page.
Presentation and settings
The section appears below the product block – by default before the customer reviews – with the heading “Frequently asked questions about …” and one collapsible row per question. The first answer is open, all others are collapsed and still fully contained in the HTML. On mobile devices the section runs full width below the buy box and the description; every question remains easy to tap. If questions are cut off by the cap, a link “All questions & answers” to your FAQ page appears.
All options are located under Settings → Design → Product detail view:
Mobile: the same section at full width.
| Setting | Meaning |
|---|---|
Settings → Design → Product detail view → Product detail view: FAQ section (position) (PRODUCT_INFO_FAQ_POSITION) | before the reviews (default), after the reviews or off. “Off” hides the section; the assignments are kept. |
Settings → Design → Product detail view → Product detail view: FAQ section (max. questions per page) (PRODUCT_INFO_FAQ_MAX) | 1–12, default 6. Order: product → category → manufacturer → global. If pairs are cut off, a link to your FAQ page appears. |
Settings → Design → Product detail view → Product detail view: FAQ section (max. global questions) (PRODUCT_INFO_FAQ_MAX_GLOBAL) | 0 up to the maximum, default 2. A few product-specific questions work better than identical text blocks on every page; 0 = global FAQs never appear on product pages. |
Settings → Design → Product detail view → Product detail view: FAQ section (expanded state) (PRODUCT_INFO_FAQ_EXPANDED) | first question open (default), all open, all closed. Collapsed answers are still fully contained in the HTML. |
You control the structured data under Settings → SEO / SEA → SEO settings → JSON-LD: FAQPage on product pages (JSONLD_FAQPAGE_PRODUCT_MODE): specific (default: only the questions assigned directly to the product as structured data), all (all visible questions) or false (no structured data on product pages). It requires the main switch Settings → SEO / SEA → SEO settings → JSON-LD: FAQ Page from Q&A Content (Category/CMS) (JSONLD_FAQPAGE) to be on.
How to write quotable FAQs
- Ask the way customers ask – with a question mark and the product or brand name (“How long does XY Eau de Parfum last on the skin?”). One topic per question, at most 128 characters.
- The first sentence is the answer – complete, naming the product or brand, up to about 150 characters. Details afterwards.
- 40–120 words, concrete figures and units, factual rather than promotional.
- No prices, delivery times or promotions – they go stale and do not belong in product feeds.
- Do not repeat what the product description already says.
- Few, specific questions – global FAQs are identical text on thousands of pages and add no value for AI search engines.
Prerequisite: AI crawlers must be allowed to read your page
The best FAQ is useless if the answer crawlers of the AI search engines (OAI-SearchBot, Claude-User, PerplexityBot, Bingbot …) are not allowed to fetch your product page. Check the setting Settings → Data protection → GEO IP Guidelines → Allow AI crawlers (verified bots) (AI_BOT_ALLOW) in the backend and let us double-check server-side blocks (for example from an earlier load defence) – we have a test routine that fetches your product page with the identifiers of the most important AI crawlers.
Measuring success
Google Search Console has offered the generative AI performance report since June 2026; Bing Webmaster Tools offer “AI Performance” with citations per URL. Compare before/after no earlier than four to six weeks after the change – AI indexes need time. The section is one of the factors that favour a citation; there is no assurance regarding frequency or placement.
Availability and update
The FAQ section is part of XONIC 4.10 and uses the existing FAQ system – no add-on module is required. We take care of the setup during the update; afterwards you assign your FAQs and the section appears on your product pages.
XONIC 4.10 is in preparation; we will announce the release date in our news. If you run an individually customised shop template, we check during the update whether the new section is carried over into your template – just let us know.
For developers
Assignments can be maintained via the xoPort REST API (from 2.120.0) – on the FAQ through the field assignments (scopes global, category, manufacturer, product) and on the product through the field faqs (directly assigned FAQ IDs). Details: FAQ endpoint and Products endpoint in the API documentation.
Best Practices
Tips for effective FAQ entries.
Recommended
- Formulate questions from the customer’s perspective (“How can I…?”, “What happens if…?”).
- Keep answers clear and concise—include the key point in the first sentence.
- Use categories effectively (e.g., Technical, Shipping, Returns).
- Use “Top FAQs” for the most frequently asked questions.
- Add images or screenshots if a visual explanation is helpful.
- Use the AI button as a starting point and review/adjust the results.
Avoid
- Questions that are too long—keep them short and concise.
- Unstructured answers—bullet points and paragraphs improve readability.
- Entries without a category—these are hard to find on the front end.
- Duplicate questions—check beforehand using the live search.
- Outdated answers – check regularly to ensure they’re up to date.
Questions about the FAQ system?
We’re happy to help you set up and make the most of your FAQ entries.
Contact us