Google tests moving source icons to the bottom of AI Overviews

Google is testing a new spot for the icons that show which sources an AI Overview draws on. Instead of appearing at the top of the summary, they now sit at the end of the answer. In this version of the experiment, hovering over the icons brings up the full list of citations.

The test was spotted by Brodie Clark, who writes a monthly newsletter on changes to search results and shared the finding on X and on SERP Alert. Here is how he described it:

"Google is now testing placing the number of sites referenced in AI Overviews at the bottom of the response. The previous position of this experiment was at the top of the AI Overview (just above the citations). This version is different: hovering shows the full list of citations."

The change was reported by Search Engine Roundtable in a story published on November 12. Barry Schwartz, the site's executive editor, said he could not see the top of the results in the material that was shared, but noted that, according to Clark, the icons appear at the bottom in this format, not at the top.

The expected impact on clicks

Schwartz believes the new placement could make the sources behind Google's AI Overviews answers even harder to find. In his view, the change could also cut clicks to the cited sites even further.

He asks why Google would move these links to the end of the summary if the likely outcome is even fewer clicks. The story does not include any comment from Google on the experiment.

For anyone managing a brand, the thing to watch is where the citation shows up. If the test moves forward, the cited source will come after the entire answer, and the full list of sites will only appear when the user hovers over the icons.