Featured snippet

What is a featured snippet?

A featured snippet is a highlighted box near the top of Google’s search results that shows a short extract from one web page answering the query, with the page’s title and link. Google picks the extract automatically from pages that already rank well. It is often called “position zero” because it appears above the first standard organic result.

Featured snippets come in a few formats. **Paragraph** snippets give a short block of text, often a definition or a direct answer. **List** snippets show numbered steps or a bulleted list, usually drawn from headings or HTML lists. **Table** snippets show rows of data such as prices, sizes or comparisons. **Video** snippets point to a section of a video, usually on YouTube. Some snippets also show an image taken from a different page.

Google chooses the page and the text. There is no markup that makes a page a featured snippet, and you cannot apply for one. The source page nearly always already ranks on page one, though not necessarily first. Since January 2020, the page in the featured snippet is not repeated as a separate organic listing on page one: the snippet is its page-one result.

The results page around featured snippets has changed. AI Overviews now appear on many informational queries, often above or instead of a featured snippet, and Google shows featured snippets on fewer queries than it used to. The skills are the same, though: a page that gives a clear, quotable answer to a question is the kind of source both featured snippets and AI answers draw on. See answer engine optimization.

You can control how much of your content Google uses. The nosnippet meta tag stops any snippet being shown for the page, and the data-nosnippet attribute keeps a specific section out of snippets. max-snippet limits the length of text Google can show. These controls apply to all text snippets, including the normal description under your result, so use them sparingly.

Why featured snippet matters for SEO

A featured snippet puts your page at the very top of the organic results, with a larger listing and your answer in full view. For question-type and definition queries, that visibility can bring a lot of traffic and strengthens brand recognition. It can also be read aloud by voice assistants.

It can cut both ways. If the snippet answers the whole question, for example a date or a conversion, many searchers will not click. Snippets work best for queries where the extract gives a taste and the reader needs the page for the rest, such as steps, comparisons or explanations.

Because snippets can be won from positions 2 to 10, they are one of the few ways to jump above stronger sites without outranking them. They also change hands often, so keep an eye on them.

How to get a featured snippet

1. Find question keywords where you already rank on page one and a featured snippet appears. A rank tracker or SERP checker can list them; Search Console shows the queries, though not the snippet itself.
2. Look at the current snippet: its format (paragraph, list or table), its length and the question it answers.
3. Add a heading that matches the question as people ask it, such as “What is a heat pump?” or “How to reset a router”.
4. Directly under it, answer in 40 to 60 words for a paragraph snippet. Start with the subject and a plain definition, with no preamble.
5. For list snippets, use a real HTML ordered or unordered list, or a sequence of subheadings, with one short step per item.
6. For table snippets, use a real HTML table with clear column headings.
7. Then go deeper below the answer, so readers have a reason to click through.
8. Make sure the page is indexable, fast and already a good result for the query; the snippet is chosen from pages Google already ranks well.
9. Check back after the page is recrawled and track the snippet over time.

Featured snippet example

<h2>How to descale a kettle</h2>
<ol>
  <li>Fill the kettle halfway with equal parts water and white vinegar.</li>
  <li>Bring it to the boil, then switch it off.</li>
  <li>Leave it to soak for 30 minutes.</li>
  <li>Pour it away and rinse the kettle twice with fresh water.</li>
  <li>Boil clean water once and discard it.</li>
</ol>