A featured snippet is a search result format in which Google pulls a short passage, list or table from a page and displays it prominently, with the page's title and link, above or among the regular results. It is chosen automatically from pages that already rank for the query. Featured snippets sit alongside AI Overviews on many results pages, and how often each appears varies by query and changes over time.
Common formats
- Paragraph: a short definition or direct answer, common for “what is” and “why” queries.
- List: numbered steps or bulleted items, common for “how to” and “best” queries.
- Table: rows of data, common for comparisons, prices and specifications.
- Video: a clip from a video, sometimes with a suggested segment.
How pages get chosen
Google says its systems decide whether a featured snippet would help for a given query and which page to take it from. There is no markup that makes a page eligible, and you cannot request one. Pages that are selected usually already rank on the first page and contain a passage that answers the query directly and clearly.
Writing for snippet eligibility
- Put a question-style heading on the section, matching how people search.
- Answer immediately below it in a concise paragraph that makes sense on its own.
- For processes, use an ordered list with a clear verb at the start of each step.
- For comparisons, use a real HTML table rather than an image.
- Then expand with detail, so the snippet gives a reason to click through for more.
Controlling snippets
If you do not want text shown in snippets, Google supports the nosnippet and max-snippet robots directives and the data-nosnippet attribute on specific elements. Be aware these controls also affect how content can appear in Google's AI features, so use them with care.
<p>Public intro text.</p>
<div data-nosnippet>Text Google should not show in snippets.</div>Example
A definition snippet for a SaaS metric
A made-up subscription analytics product, Retainly, wants to appear for “what is net revenue retention”. Its page buries the definition in the fourth paragraph.
Adding an H2, “What is net revenue retention?”, followed by a two-sentence definition and the formula in plain text, makes a clean passage that Google could lift. Whether it does depends on the competition and Google's systems; the change also helps readers and AI systems that extract passages.
Common mistakes
Answers that depend on context
A passage that starts with “As we said above” or “This” does not stand alone, so it is a poor candidate for extraction.
Giving everything away with nothing more to offer
If the snippet fully satisfies the query and the page offers no more depth, searchers have little reason to click. Pair the short answer with detail worth reading.
Questions
It can, but not always. For simple factual queries the snippet may answer the question outright, reducing clicks. The effect varies by query, so check Search Console for the pages involved.
On many queries both can appear, and on some queries AI Overviews take the space a featured snippet would have. Google has not published how it chooses between them, and the mix keeps changing. Clear, self-contained answers help with both.
