Google Tests AI Mode Button in Search Bar on Results Page

Google is testing a new placement for its AI Mode button: inside the search bar at the top of the search results page itself, not only on the home page. The button surfaces for some queries, disappears for others, and standard search still works when it appears, so users can keep searching normally with Enter.

What changed on the results page

The AI Mode button already appears in most of Google’s surfaces, but the search bar on the home page is where it has lived longest. The test moves that same button into the search bar at the top of the results page, the same bar where a follow-up search is entered after the first results load. When the button shows up, it sits next to the field where the next query is typed, which puts an AI entry point one click away from any follow-up search.

Spotting the change took some patience. A user on X posted a screenshot on September 15, 2026, asking whether Google was pushing AI Mode on follow-up searches from the results page. The screenshot showed an AI Mode button inside the search bar at the top of the results, and the user noted that the standard search button they remembered seeing there had been replaced. Normal search still worked in testing, with Enter triggering a regular query even when the AI Mode button was visible.

How the test behaves

The new button does not appear for every query. During testing, the AI Mode button showed up for some search suggestions and stayed hidden for others, even on the same results page. That selective appearance suggests Google is rolling the placement out as a controlled test rather than a default for every user and every keyword.

A few details from the test:

• The button sits inside the search bar at the top of the results page, the same field used for follow-up queries.
• It only appears for some queries, and the trigger is not consistent across search suggestions.
• Pressing Enter still runs a normal web search, so the AI Mode button is an option rather than a forced redirect.
• The home page still carries the AI Mode button in its usual place during the test.

Why Google is moving the button closer to follow-ups

The search bar on the results page is where most people refine a query, swap a word, or ask the next question. Putting AI Mode right there shortens the path from a normal search to an AI answer. If a user just typed a question and got ten blue links, the AI Mode button is now the closest call to action, which makes the AI surface easier to reach without a fresh visit to the home page.

It aligns with Google’s ongoing effort to expand AI Mode across Search.

Does the button break regular search?

No, regular search keeps working during the test. In the tests run so far, typing a query and pressing Enter returns a standard Google results page, with or without the AI Mode button visible. The button does not appear to hijack the Enter key or replace the standard search button for keyboard users. It sits next to the search field as an extra entry point, which means a user who wants AI Mode can click it, and a user who wants regular web results can keep using Enter the same way as before.

Tracking where AI Mode surfaces across Search

AI Mode has been showing up in more places across Google Search, including the home page search bar, the search results page, and AI Overview links. For SEO work, the question is no longer whether AI Mode exists on a given surface, but how often it shows for the queries that matter. Rank position across a service area is what a geo grid report shows, and SEOScanPro’s GEO Grids do this.

What to watch next

The test is small and inconsistent for now. The button appears for some queries and not others, and not every user can trigger it. The next signals worth tracking are whether Google expands the test to more queries, whether the button replaces the standard search icon, and whether AI Mode becomes the default action for follow-up searches instead of an opt-in button. Until then, the safest read is that Google is trying out a faster path to AI Mode for users who are already refining a query on the results page.

FAQ

Where is Google testing the AI Mode button now?

Google is testing the AI Mode button inside the search bar at the top of the search results page, the same bar used for follow-up searches, not only on the home page.

Does the AI Mode button replace normal search on the results page?

No. During the test, pressing Enter still runs a regular Google search even when the AI Mode button is visible, so standard web results remain the default for keyboard users.

Does the AI Mode button show for every query?

No. The button appears for some queries and search suggestions on the results page and stays hidden for others, which points to a limited test rather than a full rollout.

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