Where does a search engine typically obtain a description of a website?

A search engine typically obtains a description of a website from the meta-description tag. This tag, found in the HTML of a web page, is specifically designed to provide a concise summary of the page's content. Although it is not directly visible on the web page itself to regular users, search engines often use this information to display snippets in search results. A well-crafted meta-description can enhance a site's visibility and click-through rates by offering clear and relevant information to users about what they can expect on the page.

In contrast, while header tags can help outline the structure of a webpage and convey important topics, they are not specifically created for search engine descriptions. A content summary refers to a broader overview of the entire website's content but lacks the specificity and optimization that the meta-description offers. External links are links to other websites and do not provide internal information about the site's own content; hence they do not function similarly to meta-descriptions. The focused and optimized nature of the meta-description tag makes it the primary source for search engines when summarizing a webpage in search results.