The Pulse
Google Adds More Links and Source Context to AI Search
Google is updating AI Mode and AI Overviews with higher-placed inline links, a test for official websites, and more prominent news and related-article links. The Oct. 15 changes also include a global rollout of news carousels and a test of
AI.info Team · Written with AI ·
Google is changing where links appear in AI Mode and AI Overviews, placing inline links higher in responses and testing a dedicated section for official websites. The company announced the changes on Oct. 15, alongside updates to news carousels, related-article links and creator profiles. The stated aim is to make it easier to move from an AI-generated answer to the websites and people behind it.
The announcement comes from Hema Budaraju, Google’s vice president of product management. She says use of Google’s Preferred Sources feature has grown “by more than 7x since the start of the year.” The company did not provide a starting user count or a definition of use in the post.
Inline links move higher in AI answers
Google says it has increased inline links in its AI experiences and will show them higher in responses more often. The links appear within the text of an answer, offering a route to a related web page as the topic comes up rather than leaving every source link until the end. Google did not give a figure for how many more links users will see or specify which queries will get the higher placements.
The company is also testing a dedicated section at the top of some AI responses for official websites. Google describes these as pages that may be the sole or one of only a few places to complete a task or find exact information. The section is meant to explain why each link may be useful, though the post does not say how Google will decide which sites qualify.
News carousels expand; related links get images
Google says it is beginning to roll out prominent carousels for timely articles in additional locations and languages. The carousels will highlight users’ Preferred Sources, making coverage from selected websites easier to find across a wider range of queries. The post does not list the first markets or languages included in the rollout.
At the end of some AI responses, links to related articles will get image thumbnails and a more prominent design. Google frames that change as a way for people to explore angles beyond an initial answer. It does not say whether the new presentation changes which articles its systems select.
Creator profiles enter a test in AI Mode
Google says it began testing clickable creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode during the week of the announcement. Those names lead to Search profiles, which can show users more about a creator and their other work. Eligible creators and publishers can find setup information through Google’s Search profiles program.
The updates add more routes from Google’s AI responses to web pages, news coverage and creator profiles, but they leave the generated answers in place. Google describes several changes as rollouts or tests, not as features available to every user. Budaraju says the company will keep refining them based on what works; the concrete change is a broader set of links and source cues around Search’s AI responses.
Hema Budaraju, vice president of product management, Google