Google Quietly Redesigns AI Overviews Links - What Changes For Your Clicks Next

Google makes links more visible in AI Overviews

Stein said that groups of links in AI Overviews and AI Mode will appear in a pop-up on desktop when hovered. The pop-up will display site names, favicons, and short descriptions before users click a result.

He added that link icons within AI responses will appear more descriptive and prominent on both desktop and mobile. Google shared a screenshot that shows the new pop-up and icon layout.

Key details for search and content teams

The update focuses on how users review sources that support AI-generated answers in Google Search. It changes both how links are grouped and the visual design of link elements.

• Products affected: AI Overviews and AI Mode experiences in Google Search.
• Desktop behavior: When users hover over a group of links, a pop-up appears with additional source information.
• Source preview: The pop-up lists each site name, site favicon, and a short description line for that page.
• Visual icons: Individual link icons inside AI responses will appear larger and more descriptive on desktop and mobile.
• Testing results: Stein said Google testing found the new design "more engaging" for users.

Background context and sources

Google launched AI Overviews to provide AI-generated summaries on some searches, supported by links to external sites. These features appear above or alongside traditional web results in the Search interface.

Over the past year, publishers and researchers have tracked how often users click links that appear within AI summaries. Reporting from Search Engine Journal has highlighted industry studies measuring click behavior when AI Overviews are present.

One study cited by Search Engine Journal, using Pew Research Center data, examined clicks on AI summary links and reported that users clicked a link in the AI summary in roughly 1 percent of such visits.

Another analysis from GrowthSRC Media, also cited by Search Engine Journal, focused on organic result clicks. It found the top organic result's click-through rate decreased from 28 percent to 19 percent after AI Overviews expanded.

In August, Stein wrote that Google's "north star" for AI Mode was to show more inline links directly inside responses. Around the same period, Google added embedded link carousels on desktop that surfaced multiple sources beneath AI-generated text.

Stein's latest announcement continues this series of interface changes to how links appear within AI answers. Screenshots in the update he announced on X show the new pop-up layout and link icon style.