Google AI Overviews are now expanding automatically at the top of the search results page for certain queries, a shift that pushes traditional web links significantly farther down the page. The change alters how many users experience search, replacing a more compact layout with a fully expanded summary that requires additional scrolling to reach the familiar list of blue links.
How the New Layout Works
Previously, users typically saw a partial AI Overview accompanied by a “Show more” button that could be clicked to reveal the full summary. Under the updated behavior, Google displays the complete AI Overview at the top of the page by default when the feature activates. Directly beneath that summary sits an “Ask anything” box, and only after those elements do the standard search result links appear.
The practical effect is a results page dominated by AI-generated content before any organic links become visible. For queries that trigger the expanded format, reaching the traditional link list can require noticeably more scrolling than before.
Unclear Criteria for Activation
Google has not detailed the exact conditions that cause an AI Overview to auto-expand. The behavior does not appear on every search, and the specific factors that determine when a full summary is shown remain unspecified. This inconsistency means some users encounter the expanded layout while others continue to see the more condensed version with the manual “Show more” option.
The rollout reflects Google’s continued integration of AI-driven summaries into its core search experience. As these features take up more space at the top of the results page, the visibility of conventional links positioned below them is reduced.
What It Means for Users
For people accustomed to scanning a list of links immediately, the change introduces an extra step. The combination of a full summary, the “Ask anything” input, and the delayed appearance of organic results reshapes the standard search flow that many have used for years.
At this stage, the auto-expanding AI mode is affecting only some searches rather than being applied universally across Google’s platform.
Source
Image: theverge.com
