--- title: "Google tests AI Overview links that lead into AI Mode, not a webpage" url: https://surfil.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 posted a video of the test to X on September 21, 2026, and Search Engine Roundtable added a GIF and a screenshot. - 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 posted a video of the test on X on September 21, 2026, and Search Engine Roundtable reported it the next day with a GIF and a screenshot. 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 docs say 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. ## Common 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)