AI Mode
39 quoted answers, each with its source
The short answer
Google AI Mode is a generative AI feature in Google Search that was introduced as a Labs experiment on March 5, 2025, began rolling out in the U.S. on May 20, 2025, and officially launched to all U.S. searchers on June 27, 2025. Google states that it uses a custom version of Gemini 2.0 and a query fan-out technique, aims to show an AI-powered response as much as possible, and falls back to web search results when confidence in helpfulness and quality is low; it may use different models and techniques than AI Overviews, so responses and links will vary. For sites, Google states there are no additional requirements or special optimizations to appear in AI Mode, and a page must be indexed and eligible for a Google Search snippet to be shown as a supporting link; AI Mode data began counting toward Search Console Performance totals on June 16, 2025, and preferred sources started rolling out to AI Mode as of May 27, 2026. In a Semrush clickstream study of U.S. desktop sessions from May 1 to July 5, 2025, AI Mode usage grew from 0.25% of Google search sessions in early May to a little over 1% by early July, average AI Mode queries were longer than traditional queries, and 6-8% of AI Mode sessions led to an external domain; Semrush also reported 92-94% zero-click, while noting that its zero-click percentages came from separate studies with different methodologies and timeframes.
Every part of this comes from the quotes below. How we write these.
What the rules actually say21
Quoted straight from the people who make or enforce the rules.
- AI Mode is a generative AI feature in Google Search.
- AI Mode is one of the generative AI features in Google Search for which Google Search Central's guide to optimizing for generative AI features states that its guidance is for website owners looking for official best practices from Google Search on how to succeed in generative AI features.
1 quote from 1 source
This guide is for website owners looking for official best practices from Google Search on how to succeed in generative AI features in Google Search (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode).
The preferred sources feature is starting to roll out to AI Overviews and AI Mode.
1 quote from 1 source
Preferred sources is available in AI Mode and AI Overviews What: Updated the feature availability section of the preferred sources documentation to include AI Overviews and AI Mode. Why: The preferred sources feature is starting to roll out to AI Overviews and AI Mode.
Google Search Central's "AI features and your website" documentation states that there are no…
- additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- other special optimizations necessary for AI Overviews or AI Mode.
1 quote from 1 source
The best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode). There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary.
Google Search Central's “AI features and your website” documentation states that a page must be…
- indexed to be eligible to be shown as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
- eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet to be eligible to be shown as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode.
1 quote from 1 source
To be eligible to be shown as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet, fulfilling the Search technical requirements. There are no additional technical requirements.
Google Search Central's 'AI features and your website' documentation states that AI Mode is particularly helpful for queries where further exploration, reasoning, or complex comparisons are needed.
1 quote from 1 source
AI Mode is particularly helpful for queries where further exploration, reasoning, or complex comparisons are needed.
Google Search Central's "AI features and your website" documentation states that…
- AI Mode and AI Overviews may use different models and techniques.
- the set of responses and links shown by AI Mode and AI Overviews will vary.
1 quote from 1 source
AI Mode and AI Overviews may use different models and techniques, so the set of responses and links they show will vary.
Google Search Central's 'AI features and your website' documentation states that sites appearing in AI features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode are included in the overall search traffic in Search Console.
1 quote from 1 source
Just like the rest of the search results page, sites appearing in AI features (such as AI Overviews and AI Mode) are included in the overall search traffic in Search Console.
Google Search Central's “AI features and your website” documentation asserts that clicks from search results pages with AI Overviews are higher quality, meaning users are more likely to spend more time on the site.
1 quote from 1 source
We’ve seen that when people click from search results pages with AI Overviews, these clicks are higher quality (meaning, users are more likely to spend more time on the site).
The Google blog post introducing AI Mode states that AI Mode uses a custom version of Gemini 2.0.
1 quote from 1 source
Using a custom version of Gemini 2.0, AI Mode is particularly helpful for questions that need further exploration, comparisons and reasoning.
The Google blog post introducing AI Mode states that AI Mode…
- uses a “query fan-out” technique.
- issues multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and multiple data sources.
- brings those results together.
1 quote from 1 source
It uses a “query fan-out” technique, issuing multiple related searches concurrently across subtopics and multiple data sources and then brings those results together to provide an easy-to-understand response.
The Google blog post introducing AI Mode states that AI Mode is rooted in Google's core quality and ranking systems.
1 quote from 1 source
AI Mode is rooted in our core quality and ranking systems, and we’re also using novel approaches with the model’s reasoning capabilities to improve factuality.
The Google blog post introducing AI Mode states that…
- Google aims to show an AI-powered response as much as possible.
- where Google does not have high confidence in helpfulness and quality the response will be a set of web search results.
1 quote from 1 source
We aim to show an AI-powered response as much as possible, but in cases where we don’t have high confidence in helpfulness and quality, the response will be a set of web search results.
Google Search Central's documentation-updates changelog records that…
- information about AI Mode was added to the robots meta tag, data-nosnippet and X-Robots-Tag specifications page.
- the addition of information about AI Mode to the robots meta tag, data-nosnippet and X-Robots-Tag specifications page happened because AI Mode became available in Search Labs.
1 quote from 1 source
Adding AI Mode to the robots meta tag documentation What: Added information about AI Mode to the robots meta tags, data-nosnippet, and X-Robots-Tag specifications page. Why: AI Mode is now available in Search Labs.
Measured finding13
Something someone actually measured, with the method attached.
Search Engine Land reports that SE Ranking's previous research found ads on 29.45% of commercial queries in Google's AI Mode.
1 quote from 1 source
SE Ranking found sponsored placements on 25.94% of commercial prompts, putting ChatGPT surprisingly close to Google's AI Mode, where the company's previous research found ads on 29.45% of commercial queries.
- Study: ChatGPT ads appear on 26% of commercial prompts searchengineland.com
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode reports…
- that, on average, 6-8% of AI Mode sessions led to someone visiting an external domain.
- that 92-94% of AI Mode searches were zero-click searches.
2 quotes from 1 source
From our clickstream sample, we saw that, on average, 6-8% of AI Mode sessions led to someone visiting an external domain.
That means 92-94% of AI Mode searches were zero-click searches.
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode…
- describes its method as clickstream data for almost 69M Google Search sessions.
- restricts the sessions in its clickstream data to between May 1 and July 5, 2025.
- restricts the sessions in its clickstream data to the U.S.
- restricts the sessions in its clickstream data to desktop devices.
2 quotes from 1 source
First, we took clickstream data for almost 69M Google Search sessions that happened between May 1 and July 5, 2025
We only looked at sessions that happened in the U.S. on desktop devices
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode reports that the share of AI Mode usage among Google search sessions…
- was 0.25% in early May.
- was a little over 1% by early July.
- increased roughly 4x in the first two months after AI Mode's rollout.
1 quote from 1 source
In the first two months since the rollout of AI Mode in May, the share of AI Mode usage among Google search sessions increased roughly 4x (from 0.25% in early May to a little over 1% by early July).
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode reports that the average…
- AI Mode query was 7.22 words
- traditional query was 4.0 words
1 quote from 1 source
In our study, the average AI Mode query was almost twice the length of a traditional query (7.22 words vs. 4.0 words).
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode states that the zero-click percentages it cites come from separate studies, each using different methodologies and timeframes.
1 quote from 1 source
Note: The zero-click percentages cited here come from separate studies, each using different methodologies and timeframes.
Changed on5
A dated change. This is where advice quietly stops being true.
Data from AI Mode is now counting towards the totals in the Search Console Performance report.
1 quote from 1 source
AI Mode is now counting towards totals in Search Console What: Updated the AI feature documentation to point to the section about how AI Mode is counted towards the overall search traffic in Search Console. Why: Data from AI Mode is now counting towards the totals in the Search Console Performance report.
The Google blog post “Expanding AI Overviews and introducing AI Mode” announced AI Mode as an early experiment in Labs.
1 quote from 1 source
As we’ve rolled out AI Overviews, we’ve heard from power users that they want AI responses for even more of their searches. So today, we’re introducing an early experiment in Labs: AI Mode.
Semrush's study of Google AI Mode reports that AI Mode was rolled out in May.
1 quote from 1 source
In the first two months since the rollout of AI Mode in May, the share of AI Mode usage among Google search sessions increased roughly 4x (from 0.25% in early May to a little over 1% by early July).
Google started rolling out AI Mode in the U.S. on May 20, 2025.
Google officially launched AI Mode for all U.S. searchers on June 27, 2025.
1 quote from 1 source
June 27, 2025: Google officially launches AI Mode for all U.S. searchers