Google began automatically expanding its AI search summaries for some queries in 2026, pushing traditional link results further down the page, according to a report first noted by Search Engine Roundtable.
The change means that instead of seeing a partial AI Overview with a “Show more” button, users will encounter a fully expanded AI Overview at the top of the results page, followed by an “Ask anything” box, and only then the list of links. The layout can require significantly more scrolling to reach traditional search results.
Google spokesperson Jennifer Kutz confirmed the behavior in a statement to The Verge: “For some queries, AI Overviews may dynamically expand for topics where our systems determine it’s most useful for people.” Kutz added that Google’s research shows “users find Search more helpful and engage deeper in follow-up exploration” with the dynamic experience.
Google has not disclosed the specific criteria that trigger auto-expansion. The Verge’s reporter noted inconsistent behavior during testing — auto-expanding overviews appeared frequently at first, then became less common. The query “what is the best game on switch 2” was the most reliable trigger, though results varied across searches and browsers.
Kutz also noted one safeguard built into the feature: “If users have already begun scrolling to view content below the AI Overview, we cancel expansion so that the user doesn’t lose their reading position.”
The change may have implications for how users access traditional web links through Google Search, as the expanded AI content could reduce the immediate visibility of those results for affected queries.
Source: The Verge