Featured snippet
Short definition
A featured snippet is the box at the top of search results that shows a short answer, list or table taken from a single web page.
When Google can find a clear answer to a question, it may place a box above the result list that quotes a page. The box usually holds a paragraph, a numbered or bulleted list, or a table, with a link to the source page beneath it.
Whether a page enters that box often depends on a few habits: stating the question in a plain heading, giving a short and complete answer straight beneath it, and writing steps as an ordered list. Even so, what Google picks and when cannot be known in advance, and the behaviour changes over time.
A common mix-up is to treat the featured snippet as the 'People also ask' box. That box is an expandable list of related questions, whereas a featured snippet shows one answer at the very top. They look alike but are separate search features.
Why it matters
The box often sits in the most visible spot on the results page, and a searcher may meet your brand there first. On the other hand, if the box answers the question fully, clicks can fall, so the aim is not only to appear but to offer a reason to read on.
Illustrative example
A flooring manufacturer put a one-paragraph plain answer at the top of its 'how to clean parquet' page, with numbered steps beneath. The page became a candidate for this kind of search box.
