Featured Snippets: What They Are and How to Get One
Short answer: a featured snippet is the box at the top of some Google results that shows an answer taken from a web page, with the page link below it instead of above. Google picks it automatically; there is no markup that requests one. Your best chance comes from a page that already ranks on page one and answers the exact question in a short, clear passage right under a heading that matches the question. If you don’t want one, you can limit or block snippets with max-snippet, nosnippet or data-nosnippet.
What Google says about featured snippets
- They are boxes where the usual result format is reversed: the answer text first, the page link after. They can also appear inside the “People also ask” group.
- Selection is automatic: Google’s systems decide whether a page would make a good featured snippet for that search.
- You can’t mark a page as a featured snippet.
- A click takes the user to the relevant section of the page when possible, otherwise to the top.
Source: Google Search Central, “Featured snippets and your website”.
Which searches show them
Mostly questions and “how to” searches with a clear, short answer: definitions (“what is a sitemap”), steps (“how to submit a sitemap”), comparisons and lists. Answers usually appear as a paragraph, a numbered or bulleted list, or a table. Check the actual results page for your query: if it shows a snippet today, note its format and length, because that is what Google currently prefers for that question.
How to write content that can earn one
1. Rank first
A snippet is chosen from pages Google already considers good results for the query. If you’re on page three, work on the page’s overall quality and relevance before formatting tweaks.
2. Put the question in a heading, the answer right under it
Use the searcher’s wording in an H2 or H3, then answer it directly in the first sentence or two, without a long lead-in. Add detail after the answer, not before.
<h2>What is an XML sitemap?</h2> <p>An XML sitemap is a file that lists the pages on your site you want search engines to find, with optional dates of their last change.</p> <!-- then the details, examples and edge cases -->
3. Match the format to the question
- “What is”: a self-contained definition in plain words.
- “How to”: a real HTML ordered list (
<ol>), one action per step. - Comparisons and specs: a real HTML
<table>, not an image of a table.
4. Keep the answer accurate and current
A snippet shows your words as the answer, so a wrong or outdated fact is shown to everyone. Date-sensitive answers (limits, prices, tool names) need regular checks.
The same structure helps with AI answers too. AI Overviews and AI search tools quote passages that answer a question directly and can stand on their own. A clear question heading with a precise answer underneath is easy to quote.
How to opt out
Sometimes a snippet gives away the whole answer and costs you the click. Google lists three controls:
max-snippet: lower the allowed snippet length. Regular snippets stay. Google notes this doesn’t guarantee the featured snippet goes away.nosnippet: blocks all snippets for the page, featured and regular.data-nosnippet: an HTML attribute that keeps a specific part of the page out of featured and regular snippets.
<meta name="robots" content="max-snippet:50"> <p>Shown in snippets. <span data-nosnippet>Never shown in snippets.</span></p>
If both nosnippet and data-nosnippet are present, nosnippet wins.
Track it
Search Console’s Performance report doesn’t label featured snippets separately. Check the queries you care about in a private window, or use a rank tracker that records SERP features. A jump in impressions with an average position near 1 for a question-style query often means you’re in the box. See using Google Analytics and Search Console for SEO.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add markup to get a featured snippet?
No. Google says its systems decide automatically whether a page would make a good featured snippet. No structured data or tag requests one.
Are featured snippets still a thing?
Yes. Google still documents them, and they also appear inside "People also ask" boxes. For many questions an AI Overview now shows above them, so the same clear, direct answers help with both.
How do I stop Google showing my page as a featured snippet?
Lower the max-snippet value; Google says that doesn’t guarantee it, but regular snippets remain. The nosnippet rule blocks featured snippets and regular snippets alike. data-nosnippet hides a specific part of the page from both.
Do I need to rank #1 to get a featured snippet?
Google doesn’t publish a rule. In practice the chosen page usually already ranks on page one for that query, so work on ranking and on the answer itself together.
Where does a click on a featured snippet go?
To the relevant section of your page when the browser supports it and Google can find the section; otherwise to the top of the page.