# Featured snippet A featured snippet is the answer box at the top of Google that quotes a page. For small sites it can send fast, intentful clicks, but AI Overviews now replace it on many searches. Here is how to spot, measure and earn both, and what to avoid. Updated 2026-09-13 · Source: https://porteur.ai/glossary/featured-snippet ## What it means for a small site A featured snippet can put your page above the ten blue links. You get brand exposure and qualified clicks when your answer fits the query. As of 2026, many informational searches show an AI Overview above everything. It cites a handful of pages with links. Those cited pages get the clicks from the overview. The organic results below usually get fewer clicks than before. So you target two wins: get cited in the overview, or earn the featured snippet when no overview shows. Both require ranking on the query and answering it plainly near the top of your page. ## How to see and measure it 1. **Find candidate queries in Search Console** Open Performance. Filter by queries that contain question words, comparisons, or definitions. Sort by impressions where you are in the top 10 average position. 2. **Check the results page** Search the query in a logged out browser. Note if you see an AI Overview, a featured snippet, or neither. Record which URL is cited or quoted. 3. **Track clicks against layout** In Search Console, watch clicks and average position on the query over 28 days. When an overview appears, expect impressions without matching clicks. When only a snippet shows and you hold it, you often see a higher click-through rate. 4. **Inspect your quoted text** If your page is quoted, make sure the quoted lines are accurate and current. If you must restrict what can be quoted, use nosnippet, max-snippet or data-nosnippet on specific parts. > There is no separate opt-out for AI Overviews. If your page is eligible for Search, it can be cited. The snippet controls only limit what can be quoted. ## How to earn the box or a citation - Match the intent: pick a query you can answer in one or two sentences, then expand. Example: “what is usage based pricing” on /guides/pricing-models. - Put the answer near the top: use a clear H1 or H2 with the question, followed by a crisp definition or outcome. No fluff before the answer. - Structure the follow-up: add a short list, steps, or a small table if it helps the reader. Example: an ordered list of setup steps on /guides/getting-started. - Use the exact words the searcher uses: mirror the phrasing in the heading and the first sentence. Stay factual and neutral. - Keep pages focused: one primary question per page. If two of your URLs could answer the same query, pick one and link the other to it. - Support the page: link to it from /blog, /docs and /pricing where relevant. Make the anchor match the query. A fixed page reads like this: H1 “What is usage based pricing”, first paragraph defines it in one sentence, then a short list of pros and cons with plain language. ## Traps and limits - Chasing every snippet: focus on queries tied to your product. A glossary page that cannot lead to a signup or a trial is a low priority. - Thin intros: do not start with brand claims or a story. Lead with the answer. You can add context below. - Overlapping pages: if /blog/what-is-x and /docs/what-is-x both try to win the same box, they can harm each other. Consolidate and redirect. - Hiding everything with nosnippet: this also removes your regular snippet in results. Use data-nosnippet only on lines you cannot show. - Ignoring AI Overviews: if an overview always shows for a head term, target the longer variants where the overview does not appear, or where you can be cited. ## Questions ### What is a featured snippet? It is the answer box that appears above the organic results and quotes a line or a list from a page. Google selects it from pages that already rank for the query and that answer the question clearly near the top. ### Are featured snippets still a thing? Yes, but many informational searches now show an AI Overview above them. When an overview appears, it cites several pages with links and tends to pull clicks away from the results below. ### What does “snippet” mean? In Search, a snippet is the text Google shows about a page. A featured snippet is a special case that appears as an answer box. Regular snippets are the two or three lines under a result. ### Are featured snippets AI? The featured snippet is a quoted extract from one page. An AI Overview is a generated summary that cites several pages. Both appear above the organic results on some searches. ### How do I know if my page is quoted? Search the query in a logged out browser and look for your domain in the answer box or the overview citations. Then watch clicks for that query in Search Console over the next 28 days. ### Can I stop Google quoting my page? There is no opt-out for AI Overviews. You can limit what lines appear in any snippet using nosnippet, max-snippet and data-nosnippet, but broad use reduces your visibility. ## Read next - [AI Overview](https://porteur.ai/glossary/ai-overview): AI Overviews are Google’s generated answers above results. See when they appear, what they cite, how to measure impact, and how to get cited. - [Rich snippet](https://porteur.ai/glossary/rich-snippet): A rich snippet shows extras like price, rating or FAQ. See which schema can earn which result, how to add it, test it, and measure impact. - [How to appear in Google’s AI Overviews](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-rank-in-ai-overviews): What overviews cite, which queries trigger them, and how to structure pages that get linked. Steps to find your openings and measure them. - [People also ask: turning Google’s questions into sections](https://porteur.ai/guides/people-also-ask): See what People also ask is, where questions come from, how to collect them, write two-sentence answers, add FAQ markup, and track results. - [Search intent: what the results page tells you to build](https://porteur.ai/guides/search-intent): Learn the four intents, read intent from the results page, and fix pages that will never rank by changing their kind, not just the words. - [On-page SEO checklist: the twelve things on the page](https://porteur.ai/guides/on-page-seo-checklist): The twelve page elements that move clicks and rankings, with examples you can copy to your own product pages today. - [SERP](https://porteur.ai/glossary/serp): A SERP is a search engine results page. See its parts as of 2026, how to read features, how they affect clicks, and what to do on your site. - [How to write for featured snippets and AI answers](https://porteur.ai/guides/how-to-write-for-featured-snippets): Three snippet shapes, the patterns that win them, and why the same patterns get a page quoted by assistants. No markup required. Get a free check: paste your URL to see which queries you could win with an answer box or an overview citation, in about thirty seconds, with three findings. Free check: https://porteur.ai/