AI Mode is a search experience in Google Search that answers questions with an AI-generated response in a conversational view, alongside links to web pages. Users can ask follow-up questions and search by typing, speaking or uploading an image. Google positions it for questions that need exploration, reasoning or comparisons.
At a glance
- Type
- Google Search feature with a conversational AI response
- Since
- May 20, 2025 for all users in the U.S. (Labs experiment since March 5, 2025)
- Requirements for links
- page indexed and eligible for a snippet, no additional requirements
- Visible?
- impressions in the Search Console generative AI performance report
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How does AI Mode work?
AI Mode runs on a custom version of Google’s Gemini models. Google calls the core technique query fan-out. The question is split into subtopics, and the system searches for each of them at the same time across the web and Google’s data sources, such as the Knowledge Graph and shopping data. The results are combined into one answer with links to the pages used.
A more intensive variant, Deep Search, was announced in May 2025. According to Google it can run hundreds of searches and produce a fully cited report.
Users reach AI Mode through a tab on the search results page, at google.com/ai, or via the AI Mode button in the Google app.
When did AI Mode launch?
Google introduced AI Mode on March 5, 2025 as an opt-in experiment in Search Labs. On May 20, 2025 it began rolling out to all users in the U.S. without a Labs sign-up. It has since expanded to many more countries and languages.
- OpenAI releases ChatGPT as a free research preview. The model is based on the GPT-3.5 series.Source: openai.com
- Google announces its conversational AI service Bard and opens it to trusted testers first.Source: blog.google
- Microsoft launches the new Bing with AI chat and complete answers inside search.Source: blogs.microsoft.com
- Google introduces the Search Generative Experience (SGE) as an experiment in Search Labs. At launch it is limited to the US and English.Source: blog.google
- Microsoft renames Bing Chat to Copilot. General availability follows from December 1, 2023.Source: blogs.microsoft.com
- At Google I/O, Google announces AI Overviews for everyone in the US, with more countries to follow.Source: blog.google
- Bing previews its generative search experience. At first it appears for a small share of queries only.Source: blogs.bing.com
- OpenAI tests SearchGPT as a temporary prototype with a small group of users and publishers.Source: openai.com
- AI Overviews roll out in more than 100 countries and territories. Google expects more than 1 billion monthly users.Source: blog.google
- OpenAI launches ChatGPT search, first for paying users and the SearchGPT waitlist. Answers link to their sources.Source: openai.com
- Google launches Deep Research in Gemini Advanced. It browses the web on its own and compiles a report.Source: blog.google
- ChatGPT search becomes available to all logged-in users in regions where ChatGPT is offered.Source: openai.com
- OpenAI introduces deep research in ChatGPT, starting with Pro users.Source: openai.com
- ChatGPT search becomes available without signing up in all regions where ChatGPT is offered.Source: openai.com
- Google introduces AI Mode as an experiment in Search Labs. Google One AI Premium subscribers get access first.Source: blog.google
- Anthropic adds web search with citations to Claude. It launches as a preview for paid users in the US.Source: anthropic.com
- AI Overviews launch in Germany in German and English, together with other European countries. They are shown to signed-in users aged 18 and over.Source: blog.google
- At Google I/O, Google rolls out AI Mode to everyone in the US, with no Labs sign-up needed.Source: blog.google
- AI Overviews are available in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages.Source: blog.google
- Web search in Claude becomes available globally on all plans.Source: anthropic.com
- Data from AI Mode counts towards the totals in the Search Console Performance report.Source: developers.google.com
- AI Mode launches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as part of an expansion to more than 40 new countries and territories.Source: blog.google
- Search Console adds dedicated performance reports for generative AI features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, first for a subset of sites.Source: developers.google.com
- The Search Console reports on generative AI features become available to all websites worldwide.Source: developers.google.com
Dates follow the publisher's announcement; rollouts often took days or weeks. Google's English post on AI Overviews in Europe carries the US date of March 25, 2025, the German post March 26, 2025. Last checked: .
How is AI Mode different from AI Overviews?
AI Overviews appear above the regular results as a short summary. AI Mode is a separate view without the classic list of ten blue links, where the conversation continues with follow-ups. Both features draw on Google’s index and both use query fan-out.
What does AI Mode mean for websites?
Google lists no extra requirements for AI Mode. A page has to be indexed and eligible to appear with a snippet in regular search. No special markup or AI-specific files are needed.
The controls are the same as for snippets: nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex. Since 2026, a Search Console setting also lets site owners exclude their whole site from Google’s generative AI features. Clicks from AI Mode are counted under the Web search type in the Performance report. The Generative AI performance report in Search Console shows impressions in AI Mode and AI Overviews per page, country and device.
Because AI Mode answers through many sub-queries, a page may be cited for one aspect of a question without ranking for the original query. This is the editors’ inference from query fan-out, not a Google statement.
Example
A user asks: “Which trail running shoes work for wide feet and wet terrain, and what should I look for in the outsole?” AI Mode searches in parallel for wide-fit models, outsole designs for wet ground and recent reviews. The answer summarizes the findings and links to retailers, manufacturers and review sites that cover each part.
Frequently asked questions
How do I turn on Google AI Mode? There is nothing to switch on where it is available. Open the AI Mode tab in Google Search, go to google.com/ai or use the button in the Google app.
Why can’t I see AI Mode? It is limited to certain countries and languages, and Google Search Help lists account and age requirements.
Is Google AI Mode the same as Gemini? No. AI Mode is part of Google Search and grounds its answers in Search results. Gemini is Google’s model family and also a separate assistant app.
Sources
- Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode – Google Blog, 2025-03-05blog.google
- AI in Search: Going beyond information to intelligence – Google Blog, 2025-05-20blog.google
- Get AI-powered responses with AI Mode in Google Search – Google Search Helpsupport.google.com
- AI Mode – Google Searchsearch.google
- AI features and your website – Google Search Centraldevelopers.google.com
- Generative AI performance report – Search Console Helpsupport.google.com
- Search generative AI features control – Search Console Helpsupport.google.com
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