What Is a Featured Snippet?
Also known as Position zero, Answer box, Snippet
A featured snippet is a highlighted excerpt from a web page that Google shows near the top of the search results to answer a query directly, with a link to the source page. Snippets usually appear as a paragraph, a numbered or bulleted list, a table or a video clip. Google picks the excerpt automatically from well-ranking pages.
Featured Snippet explained
Featured snippets appear mostly for question-style and definition queries, such as "what is a DKIM record" or "how to calculate churn rate". Google selects a passage that answers the query concisely and shows it in a box above or among the top organic results, often called position zero. You cannot request a snippet; Google chooses it from pages that are already ranking on the first page.
The format follows the query. Definitions usually get a short paragraph. Step-by-step processes get numbered lists. Comparisons and data often become tables. Pages that win snippets typically put a direct answer right below a heading that matches the question, then expand on it. Clean HTML lists and tables make it easy for Google to extract the content.
Snippets bring visibility and credibility, though they can reduce clicks when the answer fully satisfies the searcher. AI Overviews now answer many of the same queries, often citing several pages, and the same habits that win snippets, clear structure and concise answers, also help pages get cited there. Site owners can limit snippet use with the nosnippet, data-nosnippet or max-snippet controls.
Featured Snippet example
A page about "lead scoring models" ranks fifth with no snippet. The current snippet comes from a competitor and is vague. The team adds an H2 that reads "What is a lead scoring model?" followed by a clear two-sentence definition, then a numbered list of the main model types. After Google recrawls the page, it begins showing as the featured snippet for the definition query, and clicks to the page increase.
How to win a featured snippet
Target question queries
Find keywords you already rank for on page one that show a snippet. Search Console and SEO tools can filter for these.
Match the snippet format
Check the current snippet. If it is a list, write a list; if it is a table, use an HTML table; if a paragraph, write a concise one.
Answer under a matching heading
Use the question as an H2 or H3, then give a direct answer of a couple of sentences immediately below it.
Structure the rest clearly
Follow the short answer with detail, steps or examples using clean headings, lists and tables Google can parse.
Improve the overall page
Snippets come from strong pages. Keep improving relevance, depth and links so the page stays on the first page.
Common mistakes
- Burying the answer several paragraphs down instead of directly under the matching heading.
- Using images of lists or tables instead of real HTML lists and tables Google can read.
- Targeting snippets for keywords where the page does not yet rank on the first page.
- Writing a vague answer that restates the question without actually defining or explaining anything.
- Ignoring that the snippet can change; competitors and Google's tests can take it back.
Featured Snippet FAQ
Google's systems pick a passage from a page that ranks well for the query and that appears to answer it clearly and concisely. Structure, relevance and the page's overall quality all play a part. Google does not let site owners request snippets or mark content as snippet-ready.
Often, but not always. A snippet can raise visibility and clicks for complex questions where people want more detail. For simple facts, the snippet may fully answer the query and reduce clicks. Check click-through changes in Search Console before and after winning a snippet.
Use the nosnippet meta tag to block all text snippets, the data-nosnippet attribute on specific HTML elements to exclude certain text, or max-snippet to limit snippet length. Be aware these controls also limit how your page appears in regular results.
A featured snippet shows one excerpt quoted from one page. An AI Overview is a generated summary that combines information from several sources and links to them. Both reward clear, well-structured answers, but an AI Overview can cite many pages at once.