AI search glossary

    What is nosnippet?

    nosnippet is a robots meta rule that tells Google not to show a text snippet from a page, which also keeps that content out of AI Overviews and AI Mode.

    Related controls include data-nosnippet (for parts of a page) and max-snippet (to limit length).

    Why it matters for your business

    One setting can quietly remove your content from AI Overviews and AI Mode. Worth checking before you wonder why you aren't cited.

    How it works

    1. 1

      Whole page

      nosnippet blocks snippets for the entire page.

    2. 2

      Part of a page

      data-nosnippet hides specific sections.

    3. 3

      Length limit

      max-snippet limits how much text can be shown.

    Common misunderstandings

    Myth

    nosnippet protects traffic.

    Reality

    It also stops the page being shown as a supporting link in AI features.

    What to do about it

    • Search your site's code for nosnippet and remove it where it isn't needed.
    • Use data-nosnippet only for genuinely private or sensitive passages.

    Questions people ask

    Does nosnippet stop indexing?

    No. The page can still be indexed and ranked, just without a text snippet.

    See where your business stands

    Run the Free Check

    Sources

    Answers that explain this

    Related terms

    robots.txtSearch generative AI control

    Defined by Dr. Radhakrishnan KG, founder of WebNamaste · Reviewed 6 October 2026