{"version":1,"type":"story","url":"https://digestai.news/story/google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we","json":"https://digestai.news/story/google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we.json","markdown":"https://digestai.news/story/google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we.md","slug":"google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we","headline":"Google adds more external links to AI overviews, but not all lead to web pages","summary":"google has been tweaking the links that appear in its ai overviews. recent posts from peec ai and gagan ghotra show that the share of ai overviews that include an external link in the answer text has risen to 26.2% as of september 20, 2026, up from near zero in late august. the data comes from a daily average between august 25 and september 20. the posts also highlight a new type of link that opens a query in ai mode instead of taking users to a website, a feature that has been in testing on mobile since january. google’s own product updates, announced by vp robby stein and vp hema budaraju, describe a range of link displays, including inline link carousels, hover previews, and subscription‑labelled links. however, the company has not released click‑through or traffic numbers for these changes, and search console rules treat query‑refinement links differently from external links. for site owners, the lack of clear metrics means they cannot easily gauge how the new link designs affect traffic or engagement.","keyPoints":["peec ai chart shows external links in ai overviews rose to 26.2% between aug 25 and sept 20, 2026.","google introduced anchor links that open ai mode instead of external sites, tested on mobile since january.","google’s product updates include inline link carousels, hover previews, and subscription‑labelled links, but no click‑through data released."],"whyItMatters":"the changes affect how search traffic is routed and measured, making it harder for publishers to track engagement from ai overviews and adjust content strategy.","category":{"slug":"marketing","name":"Marketing & Small Business","url":"https://digestai.news/category/marketing"},"entities":{"companies":["google","peec ai"],"models":[],"people":["gagan ghotra","malte landwehr","robbie stein","hema budaraju"]},"firstPublishedAt":"2026-09-25T12:00:57Z","updatedAt":"2026-09-25T12:00:57Z","sourceCount":1,"hasPrimarySource":false,"sources":[{"outlet":"Search Engine Journal","title":"Google AI Overviews Have More Links, But Not All Reach The Web via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern","url":"https://searchenginejournal.com/google-ai-overviews-have-more-links-but-not-all-reach-the-web/590762","publishedAt":"2026-09-25T12:00:57Z","type":"press","primary":false,"lead":true}],"sourceNotes":null,"discussions":[],"thread":null,"cite":{"text":"Digest AI, \"Google adds more external links to AI overviews, but not all lead to web pages\", 25 September 2026, https://digestai.news/story/google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we","publisher":"Digest AI","title":"Google adds more external links to AI overviews, but not all lead to web pages","datePublished":"2026-09-25T12:00:57Z","url":"https://digestai.news/story/google-adds-more-external-links-to-ai-overviews-but-not-all-lead-to-we"},"generatedBy":"Written by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources; the sources are the record.","license":"Headlines, digests and key points are written by Digest AI and may be quoted with a link to the story page. Linked articles belong to their publishers. Terms: https://digestai.news/terms#reuse"}