How it works
- Paste your text or enter a page URL — the tool fetches the live HTML and reads the rendered content.
- Optionally add a target query so each passage is also scored on how directly it answers that exact question.
- It splits the content into individual passages and measures each on length, topic sentence, self-containment and sentence clarity.
- Every signal is combined into a per-passage score, so you can see which paragraphs are strong and which drag the page down.
- It highlights your single most quotable passage and lists the weakest ones with the reason each falls short.
What it scores
- Passage length — whether each paragraph sits in the quotable sweet spot, neither a one-line fragment nor a sprawling wall of text.
- Topic sentence — whether the opening sentence states the point clearly so a machine knows what the passage is about.
- Self-containment — whether the passage makes sense lifted out of context, without leaning on "this", "as above" or the paragraph before it.
- Sentence clarity — short, direct sentences that read cleanly, free of tangled clauses and buried qualifiers.
- Query answer — when you enter a target query, how directly and completely the passage answers that exact question.
- Most quotable passage — the single paragraph most likely to be indexed and cited, surfaced so you can protect and reuse it.
Why it matters
Google's passage indexing means a single strong paragraph can rank even when the rest of the page is off-topic — and the reverse is true too, where a buried answer is passed over. AI engines behave the same way: they quote one clean, self-contained passage rather than summarizing the whole page. If your best answer is wrapped in qualifiers or depends on the sentence before it, the model can't lift it and cites a competitor instead. Passage-level quality is what wins featured snippets and AI citations.
How to improve your passages
Open each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that states the point before you explain it. Keep passages to a tight, self-contained block — long enough to answer fully, short enough to quote. Strip out references like "as mentioned above" so the passage stands alone, and break tangled sentences into short, direct ones. If you are targeting a query, make sure at least one passage answers that exact question head-on in its first two sentences. Re-run the checker after each edit to watch your most quotable passage improve.
Frequently asked questions
What is passage ranking?
Passage ranking is Google's ability to index and rank an individual passage from a page, rather than judging only the page as a whole. It means a single well-written paragraph can surface for a query even if the surrounding content covers other topics.
Do I have to enter a target query?
No. The tool scores every passage on length, topic sentence, self-containment and clarity without a query. Adding a target query simply adds one more signal — how directly each passage answers that specific question — which is useful when you are optimizing for a particular search.
What makes a passage quotable?
A quotable passage opens with a clear topic sentence, stays self-contained so it makes sense out of context, uses short and direct sentences, and sits at a length that answers fully without rambling. Those are exactly the signals this checker scores.