---
title: "Google tests an AI Mode button in the results page search bar"
url: https://seomadman.com/news/google-search-bar-ai-mode-button-test
section: news
published: 2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
modified: 2026-09-18T00:00:00.000Z
author: Adam Hafez
topics: ["AI search"]
---

# Google tests an AI Mode button in the results page search bar

## The short answer

Google is testing an AI Mode button inside the search bar on the search results page, not only on the home page. Search Engine Roundtable reported the test on September 18, 2026. The button does not always appear, and normal searching still works, though users may need to press Enter.

## Key takeaways

- Google is testing an AI Mode button in the search bar on the search results page, not just on the home page.
- Dwayne Cubbins first flagged the test on X earlier in the week, and Barry Schwartz confirmed it while testing.
- The button does not always appear, and it does not show for every search suggestion even on queries that can trigger it.
- Regular search still works while the button is displayed, though users may need to press Enter to continue with a normal search.
- Multiple test variations may exist, so what one searcher sees may differ from another.

Google is testing an AI Mode button in the search bar on the search results page. Until now the
entry point sat on the home page; this test puts it where a searcher types a follow-up query.
Search Engine Roundtable reported it on September 18, 2026, and it is a test, not a launch.

## What is Google testing in the search bar?

An AI Mode button added to the search bar, on results pages and not only on the home page.
Dwayne Cubbins flagged it on X earlier in the week, asking whether Google is trying to force
people into AI Mode when they make a follow-up search from the results page. Barry Schwartz
then confirmed the button while testing.

## Does the button replace regular search?

No, based on what was reported. Regular search still works while the button is displayed,
though users may need to press Enter to continue with a normal search. The test is not
consistent: the button does not always appear, and it does not show for all search
suggestions, even for queries where it can be triggered. Multiple variations of the test may
be running at once.

## Why we care

The follow-up search is where a searcher already has results in front of them. A button that
routes that next query toward AI Mode is a change to how the [AI search](/topics/ai-search)
surface is offered, which is worth watching. It is one test with an unknown scope. The source
gives no rollout plan, no share of users and no Google statement, so we do not claim any, and
nothing here changes how pages are crawled, indexed or ranked.

## Sources

1. [Google Search Bar Results Page Testing AI Mode Button](https://www.seroundtable.com/google-search-bar-testing-ai-mode-button-42110.html) - Search Engine Roundtable (primary)