Google is testing the AI Mode left sidebar on the main Google search results page, giving some users direct access to chat history, new AI conversations and settings beside ordinary results. The interface may change how people move from search results into an AI conversation, while the test remains limited and has not been reproduced for every user.
What is Google testing?
The sidebar is the vertical control area associated with AI Mode. Search Engine Roundtable reported on October 14, 2026, that Google was testing that control area on the main web search results page.
The observed sidebar included a small Google logo, lines representing recent AI Mode chats, a button for starting a new AI Mode conversation and a settings icon. The screenshot was posted by Damien Andell on X, who asked whether the sidebar had become the default Google sidebar for search engine results pages.
The report did not establish a full release. Barry Schwartz said he could not reproduce the sidebar in his browsers and suspected that Google was testing it. Other observations also reported that the sidebar was visible to some users but not all users.
How does the sidebar change the search experience?
AI Mode has previously required a user to enter or select that mode. If the sidebar appeared on ordinary search results pages, the controls for starting a new AI conversation and reviewing previous chats would sit alongside the standard results. That would make the AI interface more visible during an ordinary search.
For a business, that change could affect more than the page design. A searcher might begin with a conventional result list, then ask an AI follow-up question without leaving the results page. A business could still rank for its query without appearing in an AI answer, while another business could be cited by the AI response even without holding the same position in the traditional results.
This is a test rather than a confirmed change to search behavior. Businesses should use it as a reason to check how their pages appear in AI answers, without assuming that the interface or citation patterns have already changed.
What is the connection with Gemini?
Marie Haynes reported on X that Gemini conversations appeared in the sidebar after going directly to AI Mode. She later clarified that the conversations were held through the Gemini overlay on an Android phone, not through the Gemini app.
The clarification narrows the possible integration. According to Search Engine Roundtable, Marie Haynes clarified that these were not Gemini app conversations, but conversations held with the Gemini overlay on an Android phone.
What could this mean for AI visibility?
Search Engine Roundtable reported that AI Mode becoming available from the main results page would bring it closer to the default Google Search experience. Sayu’s analysis advised businesses to stop admiring their rankings and start checking their citations.
A related analysis from Sayu, published October 15, 2026, said that a business could rank well and still be absent from an AI answer, while another business could be quoted without holding a top position. Sayu also said AI answers draw on pages that Google can crawl and trust, so ordinary rankings still matter.
That makes visibility a two-part check for business owners. The first question is where a business ranks for a customer search. The second is whether Google’s AI answer cites the business when it responds to the same query.
The sidebar test does not prove that citation behavior has changed, so these checks are best treated as ongoing measurement.
What to do now
- List the questions customers ask before they buy. Include the terms people use for services, products, pricing, hours and local availability where those details are part of the decision.
- Run those questions on Google and record the result. Note whether an AI answer appears, which websites it links to and whether the business is among the cited sources.
- Check the business page that should answer each question. Add a short, direct answer near the top when the page does not clearly address the customer question.
- Keep business information consistent. Prices, opening hours, services and contact details should match across the website and business listings.
- Repeat the searches monthly. Compare AI answers, cited websites and traditional rankings to see whether visibility changes over time.
FAQ
What is Google testing on the main search results page?
Google is testing the AI Mode left sidebar on standard search results pages. It includes chat history, a button for starting a new AI Mode conversation, and a settings icon.
Is the AI Mode sidebar available to everyone?
No. The sidebar has appeared for some users, but other users could not reproduce it across browsers and accounts. It is being treated as a limited test rather than a confirmed rollout.
Does the AI Mode sidebar connect to Gemini?
At least for some users, the sidebar has displayed conversations from the Gemini overlay on an Android phone alongside AI Mode history. The observation did not confirm a full connection with conversations in the Gemini app.
Related coverage
- Google AI Mode vs AI Overviews: Study Reveals Divergent Search Behavior – BizScoreAI
- Google AI Search Is Linking to Source Websites Again, Here’s What Changed – BizScoreAI
- Google’s AI Search Guide Isn’t Reassuring. It’s A Warning About Generic Content – BizScoreAI
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