In short. Set extra_snippets=true in a Brave web search request and read each result’s extra_snippets array for up to five additional page excerpts.
Definition: A search snippet is an excerpt from a page returned for a query. As of 17 October 2026, Brave Search API documents
extra_snippets=trueas requesting up to five additional, alternative excerpts per search result.
Key facts
- Brave's web search API reference defines
extra_snippetsas a boolean query parameter. - The Web Search guide places the alternative excerpts in an
extra_snippetsarray within each item inweb.results. - Brave's Quickstart requires an API key in the
X-Subscription-Tokenrequest header.
How is the request constructed?
The Web Search guide provides this request for the query “python web frameworks”. The URL combines the search query, supplied through q, with the switch that enables additional excerpts:
curl "https://api.search.brave.com/res/v1/web/search?q=python+web+frameworks&extra_snippets=true" \
-H "X-Subscription-Token: <YOUR_API_KEY>"
<YOUR_API_KEY> is a placeholder for the subscription key. Brave's Quickstart describes creating that key in the dashboard's API Keys section after activating a plan. It also instructs developers to keep the key confidential and out of client-side code. In a website implementation, the authenticated request therefore belongs in server-side code.
Where are the alternative passages in the response?
The Web Search guide illustrates a result with a title, a url, a description containing the main snippet, and an extra_snippets array containing the alternatives. Each alternative belongs to that result's page. Keeping the excerpts attached to their result URL preserves the association between a passage and its source.
The API reference declares web.results.extra_snippets as a nullable array of strings. Response handling should therefore allow a null value before iterating over the excerpts. The reference also marks description as nullable, so code that combines the main snippet with the alternatives should handle both fields independently.
Does this change the number of search results?
The API reference assigns the number of returned search results to the separate count parameter. extra_snippets requests alternative passages within results. The documented upper limit of five applies to additional excerpts for each result, alongside its main snippet.
The Web Search guide identifies content preview before opening a page and relevance assessment as uses for these excerpts. They provide more page context within the search response when reviewing whether a result addresses the query.
Related terms
FAQ
Do I request a fixed number of extra excerpts?
You enable the feature with a boolean. The API reference documents up to five additional excerpts, so your code should accept a variable number.
Where do I read the main snippet?
Use description within the relevant result. The Web Search guide shows this field alongside extra_snippets, allowing you to retain the main excerpt while reading the alternatives.
Sources
Check how a page reads to answer engines. Open the GEO score analyzer