In brief
- What changed: Google is updating AI Mode and AI Overviews in Search. Inline links will show up higher in answers, and more often.
- Rolling out vs. testing: The higher inline links and the news carousels are going out. A top-of-answer section for official links, and clickable creator names on video results, are still tests.
- Price: The announcement mentions no price or separate subscription.
- Who cares: Anyone who searches with Google, plus site owners, publishers and creators who want to know where AI answers send people.
Google announced five updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews, all aimed at sending more people from the answer to the web pages behind it.
AI Desk · Published October 15, 2026
First look: this story is based on Google’s official announcement and has not been hands-on tested by Maitz.
Google published the post on October 15, 2026, on its blog, signed by Hema Budaraju, VP of Product Management. In the company’s words, the goal is to make it easier to go deeper and reach the content and sources people value.
What happened?
Google lists five changes. First, inline links appear higher in responses and more frequently. Second, a test of a dedicated section at the top of an answer that points to the right official page. Third, carousels of timely articles expand to more locations and languages. Fourth, prominent links to related articles. Fifth, a test of clickable creator and publisher names on video results.
Google says inline links already have a much bigger presence in its AI experiences, and this update continues that direction. Nearly every item answers the same question: where does a reader go after reading the answer? To a site, an article or a creator.
How does it work?
An inline link is a link built into a word or phrase inside the AI response, rather than a list of sources off to the side. Google says it lets you dig into a topic at the moment you read about it. Under this update, those links are meant to sit higher in the response.
The official-links section works differently. Sometimes only one or two places on the web can complete a specific task or give the exact information. Google is testing a display that puts those links in a dedicated section at the top of the response, with a note on why each one is useful. It is a test, not a launch.
The carousels show timely articles inside AI search features and also highlight the Preferred Sources you have chosen. According to Google, this makes timely articles visible on a wider range of queries.
On video results in AI Mode, Google is testing creator and publisher names that link straight to their Search profiles. A profile is meant to give a quick view of who the creator is and what else they do. Eligible creators and publishers can read how Search profiles work on the announcement page.
The numbers
The announcement carries one figure. Google says the number of people using Preferred Sources has grown by more than 7x since the start of the year. It gives no absolute numbers. The table shows where each update stands, per Google.
| Update | Status per Google |
|---|---|
| Inline links higher and more often in answers | Launching |
| Dedicated official-links section at the top of an answer | Testing |
| Article carousels with Preferred Sources | Rolling out to more locations and languages globally |
| Clickable creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode | Testing, started this week |
| Preferred Sources usage | Up more than 7x since the start of the year |
What we do not know yet
- Which locations and languages get the carousels, and when. Google wrote only “additional locations and languages globally.”
- When the official-links section and creator profiles move from test to full launch, if they do.
- How many clicks sites will actually get. The post has no click data and no traffic promise.
- What the 7x growth in Preferred Sources is measured against, since Google gave no absolute numbers.
What it means for you
- If you search with Google: Look for links inside the text of AI answers, and check the source before trusting a summary. The carousels also highlight the Preferred Sources you picked.
- Try it yourself: Run a search or two in AI Mode and see where links appear. Some changes are still tests, so you may not see all of them.
- Site owners and publishers: Google promised no traffic. Watch your referral stats from search over the coming days.
- Creators: If you publish video, read the announcement page on Search profiles and check whether you are eligible.
- More from Maitz: The AI tools guide collects tools you can use today.
Sources
- Google Blog: “AI Mode and AI Overviews updates to explore the web,” Hema Budaraju, October 15, 2026
- Verified: October 15, 2026
