11 Sources
[1]
Google's new "Web Guide" will use AI to organize your search results
Search is changing at a breakneck pace, with Google rolling out new AI features so quickly it can be hard to keep up. So far, these AI implementations are being offered in addition to the traditional search experience. However, Google is now offering a sneak peek at how it may use AI to change the good old-fashioned list of blue links. The company says its new Web Guide feature is being developed to "intelligently organize" the results page, and you can try it now, if you dare. Many Google searches today come with an AI Overview right at the top of the page. There's also AI Mode, which does away with the typical list of links in favor of a full chatbot approach. While Google contends that these features enhance the search experience and direct users to good sources, it's been easy to scroll right past the AI and get to the regular list of websites. That may change in the not too distant future, though. Google's latest AI experiment, known as Web Guide, uses generative AI to organize the search results page. The company says Web Guide uses a custom version of Gemini to surface the most helpful webpages and organize the page in a more useful way. It uses the same fan-out technique as AI Mode, conducting multiple parallel searches to gather more data on your query. Google suggests trying Web Guide with longer or open-ended queries, like "how to solo travel in Japan." The video below uses that search as an example. It has many of the links you might expect, but there are also AI-generated headings with summaries and suggestions. It really looks halfway between standard search and AI Mode. Because it has to run additional searches and generate content, Web Guide takes a beat longer to produce results compared to a standard search. There's no AI Overview at the top, though. Web Guide is a Search Labs experiment, meaning you have to opt-in before you'll see any AI organization in your search results. When enabled, this feature takes over the "Web" tab of Google search. Even if you turn it on, Google notes there will be a toggle that allows you to revert to the normal, non-AI-optimized page. Eventually, the test will expand to encompass more parts of the search experience, like the "All" tab -- that's the default search experience when you input a query from a browser or phone search bar. Google says it's approaching this as an opt-in feature to start. So that sounds like Web Guide might be another AI Mode situation in which the feature rolls out widely after a short testing period. It's technically possible the test will not result in a new universal search feature, but Google hasn't yet met a generative AI implementation that it hasn't liked.
[2]
Google's new Web View search experiment organizes results with AI | TechCrunch
Google on Thursday is launching a new AI-powered feature called Web Guide for organizing Google Search results. Web Guide is a Search Labs experiment that leverages AI technology to organize the search results page by grouping pages related to specific aspects of the search query. Search Labs experiments are a way for Google to test out new ideas by letting users opt in to those they find interesting. The experiments can be turned on or off at any time and include things like Google's AI Mode, Notebook LM, filmmaking tool Flow, and other, more niche ideas, like an audio show based on news from your Google Discover feed. The new Web Guide experiment is a variation on the fan-out technique for displaying search results that Google is already using with its AI Mode. The feature itself is powered by Gemini, which helps Google better understand the search query and then link to other pages that could have been missed if using a traditional Google Search. Google suggests the feature works well for open-ended search queries, like "how to solo travel in Japan" or even more complex, multi-sentence queries. For instance, you could ask something like "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?" Each section of the search results will focus on one type of answer to the query. With the solo travel example, Web Guide would display groupings like those focused on comprehensive guides, safety tips, links where people have shared their personal experiences, and more. The experiment will be available to those who opt in and will initially reconfigure the search results on the Web tab on Search. You can also turn off this Web View from this tab itself, if you want to see the standard results without having to disable the experiment entirely. Over time, Google says the experiment will expand to other areas of Search, too, including the "All" tab.
[3]
Google's new Web Guide search experiment organizes results with AI | TechCrunch
Google on Thursday is launching a new AI-powered feature called Web Guide for organizing Google Search results. Web Guide is a Search Labs experiment that leverages AI technology to organize the search results page by grouping pages related to specific aspects of the search query. Search Labs experiments are a way for Google to test out new ideas by letting users opt in to those they find interesting. The experiments can be turned on or off at any time and include things like Google's AI Mode, Notebook LM, filmmaking tool Flow, and other, more niche ideas, like an audio show based on news from your Google Discover feed. The new Web Guide experiment is a variation on the fan-out technique for displaying search results that Google is already using with its AI Mode. The feature itself is powered by Gemini, which helps Google better understand the search query and then link to other pages that could have been missed if using a traditional Google Search. Google suggests the feature works well for open-ended search queries, like "how to solo travel in Japan" or even more complex, multi-sentence queries. For instance, you could ask something like "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?" Each section of the search results will focus on one type of answer to the query. With the solo travel example, Web Guide would display groupings like those focused on comprehensive guides, safety tips, links where people have shared their personal experiences, and more. The experiment will be available to those who opt in and will initially reconfigure the search results on the Web tab on Search. You can also turn off this Web View from this tab itself, if you want to see the standard results without having to disable the experiment entirely. Over time, Google says the experiment will expand to other areas of Search, too, including the "All" tab.
[4]
Google will use AI to organize search results with Web Guide
It's too early to know if this will be better, worse or just different than AI Overviews. Google's latest AI adventure is a new option for search. is a new way that Google will organize search results based on analysis by a dedicated version of its Gemini artificial intelligence tool. The claim in the announcement is that AI can help surface the most relevant content, but it could also be a new way for Google to control what websites get prime billing in results. In the graphic shared alongside the blog post announcing this Search Labs experiment, the company showed clusters of results to the query "how to solo travel in Japan." Web Guide displayed a few hits each under different headers, such as "Comprehensive Guides for Solo Travel in Japan," "Personal Experiences and Tips from Solo Travelers" and "Safety and Destination Recommendations," with an option to reveal more for each grouping. It does seem to provide some AI-generated summaries at the top of each heading, but at least with this example, there are fewer instances of copy/pasting another publication's words wholesale. Web Guide has some similarities to Google's , which looped artificial intelligence more tightly into the search experience. The presence of AI Mode for all US users has already prompted outcry from publishers; News/Media Alliance called it "." Pew Research Center recently issued a confirming that the presence of an AI summary at the top of a search led to fewer people clicking through to read published content from a source. The group's survey of 900 adults who shared their browsing history revealed that for users who did not see an AI summary, 15 percent of them clicked on a link from search results and 16 percent ended their browsing session. In contract, only 8 percent of users who saw an AI summary clicked a link in the search results, and 26 percent ended their browsing session. And while Google has been working to improve their accuracy, let us never forget that those AI-penned summaries once gave us . It's too early to know if Web Guide will encourage more people to actually visit and support sites other than Google. For now, it's only available for opted-in users in the Web tab for search, but it will appear elsewhere down the line. Given that Google is already in the legal dog house for behavior with its search business, it should be interesting to see how this latest AI rollout goes.
[5]
Google Is Mixing Up Your Search Results
I Solved My Loud Gaming PC Problem With a Raspberry Pi and an Open-Source App Summary Google is experimenting with Web Guide to change the way search results are displayed. Web Guide uses a custom version of Google's Gemini AI to organize search results into thematic groups. The system employs the "query fan-out" technique to provide more relevant and useful results, but may face similar mistakes as other AI features. A lot of Google's AI browsing experiments are not experiments anymore -- AI Overviews and the new AI Mode are as prominent as they get, and Google is pushing them a lot. Now, the company is looking to remake one of the few parts of the search experience that remain untouched by AI: search results. Google has announced a new experiment in its Search Labs platform called "Web Guide," which would be set to change how search results are displayed to you. Since Google was launched in 1998, you're shown a simple list of websites after putting your search query, with more relevant or more popular results popping up at the very top. Aside from the inclusion of AI Overviews which sometimes pop up before these results, the search results themselves are relatively unchanged in this new, crazy AI era. The way Web Guide works is something like an alternate version of the search results you know and love, and it seems to be a middle point between old-fashioned web browsing and full-blown AI browsing. It's powered by a custom version of Google's Gemini AI model. According to the company's announcement, this model analyzes your query and the content of web pages across the internet. It then organizes the findings into distinct groups based on different facets of the search topic. The end result is an automatically categorized and grouped list of web pages, which might be a better fit for complex or open-ended searches while still providing some search results. Related Google Search Is Getting More AI and Better Overviews AI Mode will help Google fend off ChatGPT's web search. Posts Just like AI Mode, Web Guide mode has its own "Web" tab separate from the "All" tab where regular search results live, though Google might eventually try and replace the old ones with these new, AI-fueled ones. The system employs a "query fan-out" technique, a method also used in other Google AI features. When you enter a query, the system concurrently runs multiple related, more specific searches in the background. This process gathers a wider pool of information, which the Gemini model then synthesizes and organizes into the thematic groups displayed on the results page. The silver lining from this is that Google appears not to be completely done with regular search results, as it's looking into ways to integrate those into the AI era. But I'm still torn on this. You will still be served with fewer results than what you'd get from a regular search, but in theory, you'll be served with more "useful" results more relevant to your search. The other part is trusting Google to rank search results based on usefulness, and trusting this custom Gemini model to find stuff that's relevant to your query. Both AI Overviews and AI Mode have been shown to make mistakes extremely frequently, so it'll be fun to see Web Guide make mistakes like those when it needs to give you actual websites to click on. Source: Google
[6]
Google has an 'intelligent' new way to organize your search results
Google has been looking for ways to leverage its AI advancements in Search, with some of these features being received more positively than others. AI Overviews have been a mixed bag, but they're generally helpful, and the new AI Mode has its use-cases. Now, the company is kicking off an experiment that completely revamps the search results page using AI -- for better or worse. Related Get ready for more AI overviews inside your AI overviews Narrow down those summaries Posts Google announced a new Web Guide experiment in Search Labs, which can be opted into right now if you're up to it. Once opted in, you're not immediately forced into the new view -- instead, you have to switch to the Web tab after searching in order to see the AI-organized results. Like a cross between AI Mode and traditional Google Search The results in Web Guide mode aren't just a list of links -- instead, they're organized into topics related to your search, helping you drill down and learn more about your query. Google says the new mode uses a custom version of Gemini that applies a "query fan-out" technique to your results that similar to AI mode The ultimate goal here is to give you results for multiple related searches all on one page, helping to answer your deeper questions rather than directing you to other websites where you can learn more. To start, these AI-optimized results pages will only be shown when you switch to the Web tab, but Google says that over time, it will begin showing the same style of results in other areas of Search, including on the ubiquitous All tab. The new experiment is already live, so you can try it out today if you're okay with living on the bleeding edge. On Android, this can be done by tapping the labs icon in the top-left corner of the Google app, then scrolling down to the Web Guide option and tapping Turn on.
[7]
Google 'Web Guide' lab uses AI to organize the Search results page
Beyond AI Overviews and AI Mode, Google is working on "Web Guide" to better organize Search results into categories with additional context and insights. Simply, "Web Guide groups web links in helpful ways." There are headers and summaries before you see two or so links, with the ability to load "More." The goal is to make it "easier to find information and web pages," with this AI organization better surfacing pages "that you may not have previously discovered." It leverages a "custom version of Gemini to better understand both a search query and content on the web." It uses a query fan-out technique, like AI Mode, to perform "multiple related searches to identify the most relevant results." Google says Web Guide is ideal for both open-ended searches ("how to solo travel in Japan"), and detailed queries in multiple sentences: My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?" In the latter example, grouping will see "pages related to specific aspects of your query." This is available in Search Labs (Web Guide) by going to the "Web" tab/filter. As such, you can switch to "All" for the usual experience. However, Google will experiment with showing AI-organized results in the All tab and other parts of Search over time.
[8]
Web Guide: An experimental AI-organized search results page
We're launching Web Guide, a Search Labs experiment that uses AI to intelligently organize the search results page, making it easier to find information and web pages. Web Guide groups web links in helpful ways -- like pages related to specific aspects of your query. Under the hood, Web Guide uses a custom version of Gemini to better understand both a search query and content on the web, creating more powerful search capabilities that better surface web pages you may not have previously discovered. Similar to AI Mode, Web Guide uses a query fan-out technique, concurrently issuing multiple related searches to identify the most relevant results. For example, try it for open-ended searches like "how to solo travel in Japan." Or try detailed queries in multiple sentences like, "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?"
[9]
Google Search gets an AI-powered web guide
Google is testing a new feature in its Search Labs program called Web Guide, which aims to move beyond the traditional "wall of blue links" by using artificial intelligence to organize results into categories. The new tool is designed to make it easier for users to navigate the results of broad search queries. Available now for opted-in Search Labs users under the "Web" tab, the feature automatically groups links into relevant sections. For example, a search for "how to solo travel in Japan" might be categorized into sections like "Comprehensive guides" and "Personal experiences and tips from solo travelers," allowing users to more quickly find the specific type of information they seek. Users can toggle back to the classic, uncategorized view at any time. Video: Google According to a Google blog post, Web Guide is powered by a custom version of its Gemini AI model and a technique called "query fan-out," which runs multiple related searches in the background to gather and sort a wider range of content. While currently an experimental feature, Google has indicated that it may expand this AI-organized layout to the main search results page and other areas in the future, pending feedback from the current test.
[10]
Google Search Gets a New Web Guide That Organises Queried Information
Google's new experimental feature uses a custom version of Gemini Google is bringing another new experimental artificial intelligence (AI) feature to Search. On Thursday, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced Web Guide, a new filter on the search results page that categorises information and groups URLs to make it easier for users to learn more about the topic. It is currently an opt-in feature, which means users will not see it unless they proactively sign up for it. Additionally, the feature appears to be only available in some specific locations. In a blog post, the tech giant detailed the new experimental feature. The company said it is available in Search Labs, and users can opt in by selecting the Web Guide option. While a TechCrunch report claims to have seen this feature, Gadgets 360 staff members were not able to spot it. However, that is not surprising given that Search Labs' features are usually available in the US at first, and then they are expanded to other regions. Those users who can see the feature can tap on opt-in, and should be able to see a new filter added to the Google Search results page. The "Web" filter is placed on the right side of "All". As per the post, the feature organises the search results page "intelligently" to make it easier to find web pages and information. Essentially, the feature breaks down a complex search query and creates important points that the user might want to see. Then, based on these pointers, Web Guide categorises the different URLs. Each section also comes with a summary, likely taken from the listed web pages. Google says Web Guide is powered by a custom version of Gemini that better understands both search queries and content on the web. It uses the same "query fan-out technique" that AI Mode also uses. With this, AI can issue multiple related search queries simultaneously to identify the most relevant results. The new experimental feature will only be available when users click on the Web tab on Search, while the All tab will continue to show traditional results, accompanied by AI Overviews. However, Google says that in the future, this version of results will also be integrated into the All tab, if the company feels this would be more helpful to users.
[11]
Google Search gets a major upgrade with new Web Guide AI: Here's how it works
Web Guide aims to organise your search results in a better and more useful way. Google is testing a new feature called Web Guide that aims to make your search experience smarter and more helpful. Announced as part of its Search Labs experiments, Web Guide aims to organise your search results in a better and more useful way using AI. Instead of showing a long list of links, Web Guide groups them into categories based on different parts of your query. Under the hood, Web Guide is powered by a custom version of Gemini. According to Google, it "better understand both a search query and content on the web, creating more powerful search capabilities that better surface web pages you may not have previously discovered." Also read: iOS 26 beta now available: How to download, eligible phones and new features The feature uses something called a query fan-out technique, where it sends out several related searches at once and identifies the most relevant results. Google suggests trying Web Guide for open-ended searches like "how to solo travel in Japan", or for detailed questions written in full sentences like "My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected?" For now, Web Guide is only available to users who have opted in to Search Labs. If you're one of them, you can try it out by clicking on the Web tab on Search. You'll also be able to switch back to the usual search results whenever you like. Also read: GPT-5 may launch in Aug, but OpenAI's open language model could arrive first "Over time, as part of this Labs experiment, we'll also start to show AI-organised results in other parts of Search, including the 'All' results tab, as we learn where they can be most useful in helping people discover the web," the tech giant said.
Share
Copy Link
Google introduces 'Web Guide', an AI-driven feature that reorganizes search results into thematic groups, potentially changing how users interact with search engines.
Google has unveiled its latest artificial intelligence (AI) experiment, 'Web Guide', a feature designed to revolutionize how search results are organized and presented to users. This new tool, currently available as a Search Labs experiment, leverages a custom version of Google's Gemini AI model to intelligently categorize and group search results 1.
Source: Ars Technica
Web Guide employs a technique called "query fan-out" to enhance the search experience. When a user enters a query, the system simultaneously runs multiple related, more specific searches in the background. This process gathers a wider pool of information, which the Gemini model then synthesizes and organizes into thematic groups displayed on the results page 2.
The feature is particularly effective for open-ended or complex queries. For example, a search for "how to solo travel in Japan" might yield grouped results under headings such as "Comprehensive Guides for Solo Travel in Japan," "Personal Experiences and Tips from Solo Travelers," and "Safety and Destination Recommendations" 3.
Currently, Web Guide is available as an opt-in feature within Search Labs. When enabled, it reconfigures the search results on the Web tab, with users having the option to toggle back to the standard view. Google plans to expand the experiment to other areas of Search, including the "All" tab, which serves as the default search experience 1.
Source: Dataconomy
The new layout appears to be a middle ground between traditional search results and Google's AI Mode, offering AI-generated summaries at the top of each heading while still providing links to source websites 4.
While Google claims that Web Guide will help surface more relevant content, some observers have raised concerns about its potential impact on web traffic and publisher visibility. A recent Pew Research Center study found that the presence of AI summaries in search results led to fewer users clicking through to source websites 4.
Critics argue that this new feature could give Google even more control over which websites receive prominent placement in search results. Additionally, there are concerns about the accuracy of AI-generated summaries, given past instances of errors in similar AI-powered features 5.
Source: Android Police
As Google continues to integrate AI into its search experience, Web Guide represents a significant step towards reimagining how users interact with search engines. While it's too early to determine whether this approach will be more effective than traditional search or existing AI features like AI Overviews, it's clear that Google is committed to exploring AI-driven solutions to enhance its core search product 4.
As the experiment progresses, it will be crucial to monitor its impact on user behavior, website traffic patterns, and the overall quality of search results. The success of Web Guide could potentially shape the future direction of not just Google Search, but the broader landscape of online information retrieval.
Summarized by
Navi
[5]
OpenAI is set to release its highly anticipated GPT-5 model in August, promising enhanced capabilities and a unified approach to AI tasks. CEO Sam Altman has teased its impressive performance, sparking excitement in the tech community.
12 Sources
Technology
1 day ago
12 Sources
Technology
1 day ago
A Financial Times investigation reveals that at least $1 billion worth of Nvidia's advanced AI processors were smuggled into China, exposing the limitations of US export controls and sparking concerns about the effectiveness of trade restrictions.
21 Sources
Technology
1 day ago
21 Sources
Technology
1 day ago
Researchers have developed an AI platform that designs custom proteins to guide immune cells in targeting cancer, potentially transforming cancer treatment. This method dramatically reduces the time needed to develop effective cancer-fighting molecules from years to weeks.
5 Sources
Science and Research
1 day ago
5 Sources
Science and Research
1 day ago
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addresses recent layoffs and the company's AI-focused future in a memo to employees, highlighting the challenges of balancing job cuts with record profits and massive AI investments.
13 Sources
Business and Economy
1 day ago
13 Sources
Business and Economy
1 day ago
Elon Musk reveals plans to bring back the popular short-form video app Vine, but with an AI twist. The announcement sparks curiosity and speculation about the potential features and impact of this AI-driven resurrection in the competitive short-form video market.
10 Sources
Technology
1 day ago
10 Sources
Technology
1 day ago