How to Use Google AI Mode October Link Updates

Google released updates to AI Mode and AI Overviews on October 15, 2026. The changes make web links clearer and easier to click. Preferred Sources usage has grown more than 7x since the start of the year. The new features build on that momentum.

AI Mode is the conversational tab in Google Search. AI Overviews appear on regular results pages. Most of the October changes work in both places without extra settings.

What the October updates change

Google listed five practical improvements:

• Inline links appear higher in responses and more frequently.
• A test surfaces one or two official pages for a specific task at the top of some answers, with short context about why each link helps.
• Timely article carousels expand to more locations and languages. They highlight Preferred Sources you have selected.
• The Dive Deeper section at the end of some responses uses image thumbnails and a more clickable layout.
• Creator and publisher names on video results in AI Mode are in testing as clickable links that open Search profiles.

These updates address cases where only one or two sites hold the exact form or fact you need. Higher links and visual sections reduce the steps between an AI summary and the original page.

Open AI Mode and run a test query

Open Google Search in a browser or the Google app. Switch to the AI Mode tab, or run a normal query that shows an AI Overview. Use a question that needs sources.

Examples that often surface the new elements:

• “Official IRS form for estimated taxes 2026 and the deadline”
• “Recent reporting on Android 17 bubbles on Pixel phones”
• “Steps to complete a passport renewal online”

Wait for the response to finish. Scan the top for any official-page block. Read the short note Google adds next to each link. Click an early inline link on a specific phrase.

Scroll for a carousel of timely articles. Preferred Sources appear with a badge. Check the Dive Deeper area at the bottom. Thumbnails make related pages easier to choose.

Follow-up questions in AI Mode keep the conversation open and can surface more links.

Set Preferred Sources for better badges and carousels

Preferred Sources lets you mark sites you want to see more often. Selections apply to Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode on your signed-in account. Google reports people are roughly twice as likely to click a Preferred Source.

To add sources:

1. Go to google.com/preferences/source.
2. Sign in if prompted.
3. Search for a domain such as example.com. Subdirectories are not eligible.
4. Add the sites you trust. Remove them later from the same page.

Publishers can embed a button on their own pages. See our guide on adding the Google Preferred Sources button for the publisher steps.

For a broader overview of the October changes, read How to Explore the Web Better With Google AI Mode Links.

Tips for clearer research results

Ask specific questions. “Official passport renewal page and required documents” is more likely to trigger an official-page section than a broad topic query.

Combine Preferred Sources with follow-ups. After an answer appears, ask “Show reporting from [site name]” or “What does the official page list for deadlines?”

Check Dive Deeper thumbnails before you leave the page. They often link to the same sources mentioned higher up, but the visual layout can reveal extra context.

For news topics, open the carousel first. Preferred Sources badges make it faster to spot outlets you already follow.

Always open the linked pages. AI Mode and AI Overviews generate text. Verify details on the original site, especially for legal, financial, or medical topics.

Limitations to expect

Not every query shows every feature. Official-page sections and clickable creator names remain in testing. Carousels expand by region and language over time.

Search Console still reports AI impressions separately. Click data for AI Mode and AI Overviews is not broken out the same way as classic web results.

The updates increase the visibility of sources. They do not replace reading the original content.

Conclusion

The October 15 updates make it simpler to move from an AI answer to the underlying web pages. Higher inline links, official-page callouts, expanded Preferred Sources carousels, and visual Dive Deeper sections all point in the same direction: keep exploring after the summary.

Add a few Preferred Sources, then run test queries in AI Mode. The combination gives clearer paths to the pages you actually want to read.

Sources

• Google Blog: More ways to connect with the web from Search (October 15, 2026)
• Google Blog: New ways to find your favorite sources and original content in AI Search (May 27, 2026)
• Google Search Help on AI Mode