--- title: "Google tests AI Overview links that lead into AI Mode, not a webpage" url: https://seomadman.com/news/ai-overview-links-push-ai-mode section: news language: en published: 2026-09-22T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["AI search"] --- # Google tests AI Overview links that lead into AI Mode, not a webpage ## The short answer Google is testing anchor links inside AI Overviews that look like ordinary web links but, when clicked, open a follow-up question in AI Mode instead of a website. SEO reporter Gagan Ghotra spotted and documented the test on X on September 21, 2026. Google has not commented, and the rollout scope is unknown. ## Key takeaways - Google is testing links at the bottom of AI Overviews that open a follow-up question inside AI Mode rather than sending the click to a webpage. - The links render as normal-looking anchor text, so a user cannot tell from appearance alone that the destination is AI Mode and not a website. - SEO reporter Gagan Ghotra documented the test with video, a GIF and a screenshot and posted it to X on September 21, 2026. - Google has not confirmed the test publicly, and neither its rollout scope nor its permanence is known. Google is testing a new kind of link inside AI Overviews: one that looks like it goes to a website, but instead opens a follow-up question in AI Mode. ## What was spotted SEO reporter Gagan Ghotra documented the test on X on September 21, 2026, with a video, a GIF and a screenshot, and Search Engine Roundtable reported it the next day. The links sit at the bottom of an AI Overview, styled like any other anchor link; the screenshot shows the cursor hovering over two of them. Clicking one does not leave Google, it opens a related question inside AI Mode. Ghotra described it as anchor links "which instead of taking to a webpage takes to AI Mode," and added: "Another day - Another Tactic from Google to push users from usual search results to AI Mode." ## Why the styling matters A link that reads like a citation but resolves to a Google surface changes what a click is worth to a publisher. If a user cannot distinguish an AI Mode prompt from a link to a source page before clicking, some share of clicks that once left Google for a website will instead stay inside AI Mode. Search Engine Roundtable's report does not include click-through numbers, so the size of that shift is not known. It is not the only recent route into AI Mode. Google has also been testing an [AI Mode button in the results page search bar](/news/google-search-bar-ai-mode-button-test). ## What Google's documentation says about AI links Google's page on AI features says AI Overviews and AI Mode "surface relevant links" to help people find information and explore content. To be eligible as a supporting link, a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Search with a snippet, and Google says no special optimization is needed. The documentation does not describe links that lead to AI Mode instead of a page. ## How to check your own exposure Google says traffic from AI features is counted in the Search Console Performance report under the "Web" search type, not in a separate bucket. That means a test like this cannot be isolated directly. What you can do: - Compare clicks and impressions for queries where you know an AI Overview appears, before and after late September 2026. - Watch for pages whose impressions hold steady while clicks fall, with no ranking change. - Keep in mind that ranking and AI Overview citation are drifting apart, as [Ahrefs data on citation decoupling](/news/ai-overview-citation-rank-decoupling) shows. ## What is still unconfirmed Google has not commented on the test. Search Engine Roundtable's report is based on one person's documented sighting, not a Google announcement, so the eligibility, rollout percentage and whether the test ships broadly all remain open questions. ## Why we care Treat this as an early signal, not a confirmed rollout. If AI Overview referral traffic on your own properties shifts without a corresponding change in your rankings, this test is one plausible cause worth checking for. We will follow up if Google confirms the feature or expands it. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I tell an AI Mode link apart from a regular link in an AI Overview? Not by looking at it. Search Engine Roundtable reports the links appear as normal anchor text, and only clicking reveals that the destination is a follow-up question in AI Mode rather than a website. ### Is this test live everywhere? That is not known. The report documents one instance, spotted and shared by Gagan Ghotra, and Google has not published scope, eligibility or timeline details. ## Sources 1. [Google Tests AI Overview Links That Go To AI Mode, Not A Web Page](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-ai-overview-links-to-ai-mode-42132.html) - Search Engine Roundtable (primary) 2. [AI features and your website](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features) - Google Search Central (primary)