diff --git a/internal/librariangen/module/module.go b/internal/librariangen/module/module.go
index 4de19ba96611..6e36dcb9ecfe 100644
--- a/internal/librariangen/module/module.go
+++ b/internal/librariangen/module/module.go
@@ -74,7 +74,8 @@ func UpdateSnippetsMetadata(lib *request.Library, sourceDir string, destDir stri
 	version := lib.Version
 
 	slog.Debug("librariangen: updating snippets metadata")
-	snpDir := filepath.Join("internal", "generated", "snippets", moduleName)
+	sharedSnpDir := filepath.Join("internal", "generated", "snippets", moduleName)
+	snippetDir := filepath.Join(moduleName, "examples")
 
 	for _, api := range lib.APIs {
 		apiConfig := moduleConfig.GetAPIConfig(api.Path)
@@ -82,45 +83,46 @@ func UpdateSnippetsMetadata(lib *request.Library, sourceDir string, destDir stri
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
-
 		snippetFile := "snippet_metadata." + apiConfig.GetProtoPackage() + ".json"
-		path := filepath.Join(snpDir, clientDirName, snippetFile)
-		slog.Info("librariangen: updating snippet metadata file", "path", path)
-		read, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(sourceDir, path))
-		if err != nil {
-			// If the snippet metadata doesn't exist, that's probably because this API path
-			// is proto-only (so the GAPIC generator hasn't run). Continue to the next API path.
-			if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
-				slog.Info("librariangen: snippet metadata file not found; assuming proto-only package", "path", path)
-				continue
-			}
-			return err
-		}
-
-		content := string(read)
-		var newContent string
-		var oldVersion string
-
-		if strings.Contains(content, "$VERSION") {
-			newContent = strings.Replace(content, "$VERSION", version, 1)
-			oldVersion = "$VERSION"
-		} else if foundVersion := versionRegexp.FindString(content); foundVersion != "" {
-			newContent = strings.Replace(content, foundVersion, version, 1)
-			oldVersion = foundVersion
-		}
-
-		if newContent == "" {
-			return fmt.Errorf("librariangen: no version number or placeholder found in '%s'", snippetFile)
+		paths := []string{
+			filepath.Join(sharedSnpDir, clientDirName, snippetFile),
+			filepath.Join(snippetDir, clientDirName, snippetFile),
 		}
-
-		destPath := filepath.Join(destDir, path)
-		slog.Info("librariangen: updating version in snippets metadata file", "destPath", path, "old", oldVersion, "new", version)
-		if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(destPath), 0755); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("librariangen: creating directory for snippet file: %w", err)
+		var found bool
+		for _, path := range paths {
+			slog.Info("librariangen: updating snippet metadata file", "path", path)
+			read, err := os.ReadFile(filepath.Join(sourceDir, path))
+			if err != nil {
+				if errors.Is(err, os.ErrNotExist) {
+					continue
+				}
+				return err
+			}
+			found = true
+			content := string(read)
+			var newContent string
+			var oldVersion string
+			if strings.Contains(content, "$VERSION") {
+				newContent = strings.Replace(content, "$VERSION", version, 1)
+				oldVersion = "$VERSION"
+			} else if foundVersion := versionRegexp.FindString(content); foundVersion != "" {
+				newContent = strings.Replace(content, foundVersion, version, 1)
+				oldVersion = foundVersion
+			}
+			if newContent == "" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("librariangen: no version number or placeholder found in '%s'", path)
+			}
+			destPath := filepath.Join(destDir, path)
+			slog.Info("librariangen: updating version in snippets metadata file", "destPath", destPath, "old", oldVersion, "new", version)
+			if err := os.MkdirAll(filepath.Dir(destPath), 0755); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("librariangen: creating directory for snippet file: %w", err)
+			}
+			if err := os.WriteFile(destPath, []byte(newContent), 0644); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		}
-		err = os.WriteFile(destPath, []byte(newContent), 0644)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
+		if !found {
+			slog.Info("librariangen: snippet metadata files not found; assuming proto-only package", "paths", paths)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/internal/librariangen/module/module_test.go b/internal/librariangen/module/module_test.go
index e4ad2933befa..0ee04115b265 100644
--- a/internal/librariangen/module/module_test.go
+++ b/internal/librariangen/module/module_test.go
@@ -104,6 +104,62 @@ func TestUpdateSnippetsMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"2.3.4"}}`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "version placeholder in library output",
+			lib: &request.Library{
+				ID:      "secretmanager",
+				Version: "2.3.4",
+				APIs: []request.API{
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			moduleConfig: &config.ModuleConfig{
+				Name: "secretmanager",
+				APIs: []*config.APIConfig{
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			files: map[string]string{
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"$VERSION"}}`,
+			},
+			want: map[string]string{
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"2.3.4"}}`,
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			name: "version placeholder in two directories",
+			lib: &request.Library{
+				ID:      "secretmanager",
+				Version: "2.3.4",
+				APIs: []request.API{
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			moduleConfig: &config.ModuleConfig{
+				Name: "secretmanager",
+				APIs: []*config.APIConfig{
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			files: map[string]string{
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"$VERSION"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":                    `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"$VERSION"}}`,
+			},
+			want: map[string]string{
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"2.3.4"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":                    `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"2.3.4"}}`,
+			},
+		},
 		{
 			name: "existing version",
 			lib: &request.Library{
@@ -207,6 +263,32 @@ func TestUpdateSnippetsMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 			want:    map[string]string{},
 			wantErr: true,
 		},
+		{
+			name: "no version string in library output",
+			lib: &request.Library{
+				ID:      "secretmanager",
+				Version: "2.3.4",
+				APIs: []request.API{
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			moduleConfig: &config.ModuleConfig{
+				Name: "secretmanager",
+				APIs: []*config.APIConfig{
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			files: map[string]string{
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{}}`,
+			},
+			want:    map[string]string{},
+			wantErr: true,
+		},
 		{
 			name: "multiple api versions and a sub-API",
 			lib: &request.Library{
@@ -252,6 +334,57 @@ func TestUpdateSnippetsMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/subapi/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
 			},
 		},
+		{
+			name: "multiple api versions and a sub-API in two snippet directories",
+			lib: &request.Library{
+				ID:      "secretmanager",
+				Version: "1.0.0",
+				APIs: []request.API{
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+					},
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/v2",
+					},
+					{
+						Path: "google/cloud/secretmanager/subapi/v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			moduleConfig: &config.ModuleConfig{
+				Name: "secretmanager",
+				APIs: []*config.APIConfig{
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/v1",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.v1",
+					},
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/v2",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.v2",
+					},
+					{
+						Path:         "google/cloud/secretmanager/subapi/v1",
+						ProtoPackage: "google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1",
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			files: map[string]string{
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":               `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"$VERSION"}}`,
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv2/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v2.json":               `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"0.1.0"}}`,
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/subapi/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"0.1.0"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":                                  `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"$VERSION"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv2/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v2.json":                                  `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"0.1.0"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/subapi/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1.json":                    `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"0.1.0"}}`,
+			},
+			want: map[string]string{
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":               `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/apiv2/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v2.json":               `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+				"internal/generated/snippets/secretmanager/subapi/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1.json": `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v1.json":                                  `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/apiv2/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.v2.json":                                  `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+				"secretmanager/examples/subapi/apiv1/snippet_metadata.google.cloud.secretmanager.subapi.v1.json":                    `{"clientLibrary":{"version":"1.0.0"}}`,
+			},
+		},
 	}
 
 	for _, tc := range testdata {