Google is changing how links show up inside its AI search answers. In an October 15 post, Hema Budaraju, a VP of Product Management at Google, listed five updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews. Inline links move higher in responses, official websites may get their own box at the top, news carousels start rolling out to more locations and languages, related links get thumbnails, and creator names on videos become clickable. Four days later, Search Engine Roundtable reported a smaller test: a "Source preferences" button inside the AI Mode citation panel.
This guide covers what each change does, which ones are live and which are tests, and what it means if you search with Google or run a website.
The short version
- Inline links appear higher and more often. Google says these updates are launching now.
- Official links get a dedicated section at the top. This is a test, for tasks where only one or two sites can help.
- News carousels expand. Google is starting to roll them out to more locations and languages, and they highlight your Preferred Sources.
- Related links at the end of some answers get thumbnails and what Google calls "a more clickable design."
- Creator and publisher names on video results link to Search profiles. This is a test in AI Mode.
1. Inline links, higher up
Inline links are links attached to words or phrases inside an AI response. Google says it has made "continued and substantial increases to the presence of inline links" in its AI experiences, and is now launching updates to show them "higher up in responses more frequently." The goal, in Google's words, is to make sure "key sources are easily clickable right when you need them."
Google did not say how much higher, or how many more links, a typical answer will carry.
2. A box for official websites (test)
Some questions have only one or two correct destinations. Google is testing a display that puts those links in a dedicated section at the top of an AI response, with context about why each link is useful. The Verge notes that Google's example image shows a query about an airline refund. Google says this builds on what Search already does when you try to reach a particular site.
3. News carousels in more places
In May, Google added a prominent carousel of timely articles to some AI answers about developing topics. Google is now starting to roll out that carousel to more locations and languages. It also highlights your Preferred Sources, the sites you have told Google you want to see more of, so that coverage from those sites is easier to spot.
4. Related links with thumbnails
Some AI answers end with a list of links for further reading. 9to5Google identifies this as the "Dive Deeper" section. Google is adding image thumbnails and a more clickable design there.
5. Clickable creator names (test)
This week, Google started testing clickable creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode. A click opens that creator's Search profile, which shows their broader work. Google says eligible creators and publishers can learn how to get started with Search profiles.
Preferred Sources is growing
Google opened its post with a number about Preferred Sources. The number of people who use the feature has grown more than 7x since the start of the year, according to the October post.
The feature came to AI Mode and AI Overviews in May 2026. At that time, Google said people were twice as likely to click through to a Preferred Source, and that users had selected more than 345,000 unique sources. Links from your chosen sites carry a "Preferred" label in AI responses.
New test: manage sources inside AI Mode
On October 19, Search Engine Roundtable reported that Google is testing a "Source preferences" button in the AI Mode citations sidebar. It opens your Preferred Sources list so you can add or remove sites without leaving the answer. Damien Andell spotted the button and posted a video on X. Barry Schwartz, who wrote the report, said he could not see it himself. Search Engine Watch notes that before this, users managed the list on a separate preferences page.
How to set your Preferred Sources
Google's help page gives these steps:
- Go to google.com or open the Google app.
- At the top right, select your profile picture or initial.
- Go to Search personalization, then Source preferences.
- Search for the sources you want.
- Select the checkbox next to each one.
Your choices apply to AI Mode, AI Overviews and Top Stories. If you are signed in, the settings follow you to every browser where you sign in. Google notes that sources that are not updated regularly may not be available.
Why it matters
AI Overviews and AI Mode answer in a written summary instead of the traditional list of links. We reported in August on how often AI Overviews show up in US searches. As The Verge puts it, there are concerns that the format reduces traffic to publishers. Each change in this update aims to make links easier to see or to click: higher in the text, at the top of the answer, in carousels, with thumbnails, or on creator names.
What Google did not publish is outcome data. The October post includes no figures for how many clicks the new placements send to websites. The only click figure in Google's two posts is the May number for Preferred Sources. Site owners will have to judge the effect in their own analytics. For a look at citation shifts in another AI search tool, see our report on ChatGPT Search and Reddit citations.
For publishers, Preferred Sources is the lever they can act on today. Google says any website that publishes fresh content is eligible, and its May post says site owners can find tips in Google's documentation on how to ask readers to add them. Creators who post video can also look at Search profiles, since the clickable names test links to them.
For everyday searchers, the practical step is the same: pick the sites you trust in Source preferences. Your choices then show up with a "Preferred" label in AI answers, and in the news carousels as those expand.
Sources
- Google: AI Mode and AI Overviews updates to explore the web (Oct 15, 2026)
- Google: New ways to find your favorite sources and original content in AI Search (May 27, 2026)
- Google Search Help: Preferred Sources in Google Search
- The Verge: Google is making inline links more prominent in AI responses
- 9to5Google: Google AI Mode and AI Overview updates work to elevate links
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google AI Mode Citations With Preferred Source Preferences
- Search Engine Watch: Google AI Mode adds Source preferences button to the citation panel
