Google is testing a new way to search: instead of receiving only a list of results, users may see an AI-generated overview and suggestions for where to go next. The experiment, called Search Generative Experience (SGE), is designed to make it easier to explore a topic through connected questions.
Search that carries context forward
In the experimental experience, a search can produce a snapshot of key information along with links for readers who want to investigate further. Search may also suggest follow-up steps. Choosing one opens a conversational mode where users can ask more about the subject they are exploring.
The conversation is designed to retain context from one question to the next. That means a user can build on an earlier search instead of restating the topic each time. Google says the approach can help people move from a broad question into more specific parts of the same subject.
Google illustrated the idea with a family considering whether Bryce Canyon or Arches would be better with children under 3 and a dog. The company said that, previously, someone asking that question would have needed to split it into smaller searches and bring the information together themselves. SGE is intended to understand the combined query.
Shopping results with room for follow-ups
The new experience also connects with Google Shopping. Someone searching for a bike could receive a snapshot of factors to consider alongside products that may fit. From there, the person could ask a follow-up question or select a suggested next step.
Google’s example is a question about whether a particular bike comes in new colors. Search is meant to understand that the follow-up refers to the specific bikes already under consideration. This makes the shopping flow another example of how the system is intended to preserve context across questions.
The shopping experience is built on Google’s Shopping Graph, which Google says contains more than 35 billion product listings. That connection is presented as a way to link product discovery with the conversational search experience.
An experiment with a waitlist
SGE will be available experimentally in the U.S. through Google Labs in the coming weeks. People in the U.S. can join the waitlist by tapping the Labs icon in the latest version of the Google app or Chrome desktop.
Google announced the experiment at its annual I/O developer conference. It is not an immediate general rollout: the waitlist and Labs program are the route for users to access the early experience.
Google says its generative AI capabilities are intended to help users understand topics faster, find viewpoints and insights, and get things done more easily. Those are the goals the company gives for the experiment; the announcement describes planned features and examples rather than reporting measured results.
Ads remain part of the page
Search ads will continue to appear in dedicated slots throughout the page when the generative experience is used. Google says it will keep ads distinguishable from organic search results.
That detail matters because SGE changes how information may be presented without removing advertising from the search page. Users can expect the experiment to combine AI-generated snapshots, links, conversational follow-ups and shopping suggestions while retaining separate ad placements.