Google makes links more visible in AI Overviews and AI Mode

Google is changing how links appear inside its AI-powered search experiences. Robby Stein, VP of product for Search, shared on X that AI Overviews and AI Mode will now surface groups of source links in a hover pop-up on desktop. Each link will include a short description and an image.

What users will see in AI Overviews and AI Mode

According to a screenshot shared by Stein, a desktop Google Search result now shows an AI Overview with small clusters of link icons placed next to specific statements inside the AI-generated answer. When a user hovers over one of those link clusters, a rectangular pop-up appears on the right side of the screen. Inside that pop-up, multiple source links are listed vertically.

Each link displays the publisher or site name, a short descriptive line about what the page contains, and a thumbnail image. This allows users to see what a page is about before clicking, rather than being sent directly to a source with no context.

Google says link icons inside AI-generated responses will also become more prominent on both desktop and mobile.

Part of a broader shift in AI search design

This change builds on Google’s earlier rollout of AI Overviews and AI Mode, which introduced AI-generated summaries directly into Search. Since those launches, publishers and marketers have raised concerns about reduced click-through to websites when answers are presented upfront. The company has also faced regulatory and industry scrutiny over how AI search features use publisher content. Making links more visible could be a response to those concerns.