--- title: "Google adds more links to AI Mode and AI Overviews" url: https://seomadman.com/news/google-ai-mode-overviews-links-update section: news language: en published: 2026-10-15T00:00:00.000Z modified: 2026-10-15T00:00:00.000Z author: Adam Hafez topics: ["AI search", "SERP features"] --- # Google adds more links to AI Mode and AI Overviews ## The short answer Google announced on 15 October 2026 that AI Mode and AI Overviews will show more inline links, higher up, plus a test section for one or two official pages. News carousels expand with Preferred Sources, Dive Deeper links get thumbnails, and publisher names on videos become clickable. Google has not added click data to reports. ## Key takeaways - Google said it is adding more links inside AI responses and showing them higher up more often. - A test will surface one or two official pages in a dedicated section at the top of a response, with context on why each link is useful. - News carousels for timely articles are expanding to more locations and languages and will highlight a person's Preferred Sources, which Google says grew more than 7x this year. - Links to related articles at the end of some responses get image thumbnails, and a test makes publisher and creator names on videos clickable to their Search profiles. - Google told Search Engine Roundtable it is working with site owners on which insights to provide, and click data is not shown yet. Hema Budaraju, Google's VP of product management for Search, published [Updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews to help you explore the web](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/updates-ai-mode-overviews-explore-web/) on 15 October 2026, and Nick Fox [announced it on X](https://x.com/thefox/status/2110795398252315097). Search Engine Roundtable's Barry Schwartz [covered the missing click data](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-updates-links-in-ai-mode-and-ai-overviews-again-42308.html). ## What links is Google adding? Google says it is adding more links within AI responses and showing them higher up more often, so key sources are easy to click when needed. A test will also surface one or two official pages in a dedicated section at the top of a response, with context on why each is useful. Related articles at the end of some responses, under Dive Deeper, get image thumbnails and a more clickable design. ## How do news carousels change? Prominent carousels for timely articles are expanding to more locations and languages. They will highlight a person's Preferred Sources, which Google says has grown by more than 7x since the start of the year. Our write-up of the [Preferred Sources button](/news/google-preferred-sources-custom-button) shows how a site invites that choice. ## What about video publisher names? A test makes creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode clickable. Per Google's post they lead to the publisher's Search profile, and Schwartz reports the profile page comes first. Our [Search profiles](/news/google-search-profiles-update) coverage explains who qualifies. ## Where is the click data? Schwartz says Google told him it is continuing to work with website owners to understand which insights will be most helpful, and will add metrics over time. He argues click data belongs in its AI performance reports now. We found no figure from Google on how many clicks the new links drive. ## What does it mean for sites? More visible links raise the chance of a click from an AI answer, but with no click reporting you cannot measure it from Search Console alone. Compare your referral traffic before and after, and see our [AI search](/topics/ai-search) and [SERP features](/topics/serp-features) hubs for related changes, including the [Gemini 4 Argon model](/news/gemini-4-argon-ai-mode-pro-ultra) in AI Mode. ## Frequently asked questions ### What links is Google adding to AI Mode and AI Overviews? More inline links shown higher in responses, a test section at the top with one or two official pages, thumbnail links under Dive Deeper, and clickable publisher names on videos in a test. ### Will publishers see click data for these links? Not yet. Search Engine Roundtable reports Google said it is working with site owners to understand which insights will help most, and will add metrics over time. ### What are Preferred Sources doing here? Google says its news carousels are expanding to more places and languages and will highlight a person's Preferred Sources, whose use it says has grown by more than 7x since the start of the year. ### Where do clickable video publisher names lead? Per Google's post, the test links to the publisher's Search profile. Search Engine Roundtable reports it goes to the profile page first. ## Sources 1. [Updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews to help you explore the web](https://blog.google/products-and-platforms/products/search/updates-ai-mode-overviews-explore-web/) - Google (primary) 2. [Nick Fox on the link updates](https://x.com/thefox/status/2110795398252315097) - Nick Fox (X) 3. [Google Updates Links In AI Mode & AI Overviews Again, Won't Show Click Data](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-updates-links-in-ai-mode-and-ai-overviews-again-42308.html) - Search Engine Roundtable