Featured snippet
Updated June 22, 2026 · Reviewed by the Quratic editorial team
Definition
A featured snippet is a Google Search result that extracts and displays a direct answer — paragraph, list, or table — above the organic links, often called "position zero." It is the classic search precursor to AI Overviews and answer-engine extraction.
Position zero before AI Overviews
Featured snippets pull a passage from a ranked page and show it at the top of the SERP — definition boxes, numbered steps, tables. Winning one drives zero-click search traffic but maximizes brand exposure for definitional queries. Many AEO tactics (question headings, concise answers, lists) were pioneered for snippet capture and apply unchanged to AI Overviews.
How featured snippets differ from AI Overviews
Snippets quote one source prominently (with link). AI Overviews synthesize multiple sources into a new paragraph with several citations. You can own the snippet URL and still lose the overview narrative if competitors dominate the synthesized summary. Track both on the AI SERP.
In Asian markets
Snippet formats and trigger rates vary by language — definitional queries in English may snippet more predictably than equivalent Japanese queries with different SERP layouts. Measure per market; do not extrapolate from US snippet tools alone.
Example
A glossary page with an answer block captures the featured snippet for “what is GEO.” When an AI Overview later appears for the same query, the brand is named in the synthesis because the underlying page was already Google’s preferred extract source.