Chunk
A chunk is a short piece of a web page, often a section or a few paragraphs, that an AI system stores and retrieves on its own.
A chunk is a short piece of a page that an AI system handles as one unit. Before a system can search your page for an answer, it cuts the page into pieces, usually along headings or paragraphs. Each piece is a chunk.
That matters because AI systems often look for and use one chunk at a time. When an answer draws on your site, it's usually drawing on one or two chunks of it.
What a chunk looks like
A chunk is typically a heading and the paragraphs under it, or a few paragraphs in a row. Its length depends on the system. Some cut by a set length, some by the page's structure, some by both.
For example, Fernhill Coffee's subscription page might be cut into four chunks: the opening, a section on plans and prices, a section on delivery, and the FAQ. When someone asks an AI platform how much Fernhill's subscription costs, the system looks for the best-matching chunk. If the prices sit cleanly under a "Plans and prices" heading, that chunk is an easy match.
A chunk has to make sense on its own
When a system picks a chunk, it often doesn't bring along what came before. A chunk that says "It costs £12 a month" without naming what "it" is gives the system less to go on than one that says "Fernhill's coffee subscription costs £12 a month."