Snippet
A short passage from a web page that a search result returns to show why the page matched the query.
What it means
A snippet is a short passage from a web page that a search result returns to show why the page matched. Some APIs pick the passage at query time, so it fits the question. Others return a fixed description taken from the page's metadata. The difference matters, because a passage chosen for the query is usually more useful to a model than a generic summary of the page.
Snippets are cheap to read. Their size is set in characters or tokens, and providers often let you cap them per result or per request. Use snippets for a first pass, then decide whether a source needs its full text. Check whether a snippet is copied from the page or written by a model, because that changes how far you can rely on it as evidence.
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Cite this entry
https://bestwebsearchapi.com/glossary/snippet/