Glossary · Platforms
Featured Snippet (vs. AI Answer)
A traditional Google search feature that displays a highlighted excerpt from a single ranked page — distinct from a generative AI Overview that synthesizes across multiple sources.
The key difference
A featured snippet quotes an excerpt directly from one specific page, keeping that page's attribution clear. A generative AI answer synthesizes information across several sources into new text, which doesn't map back to a single quoted excerpt in the same way.
Why both are worth optimizing for
Content structured to directly and clearly answer a specific question tends to perform well for both formats — but they're measured and won differently, and a brand can win one without the other.
See more terms in the full glossary, or read the AI Visibility 101 guide for the full picture.