Google has started automatically expanding AI Overviews on some search results, pushing the traditional list of links much further down the page. Search now often requires more scrolling before reaching a website link, changing how billions of people find information every day.
What actually happened
Google confirmed the change to The Verge on 28 August 2026. For some queries, the AI Overview now loads fully expanded at the top of results, followed by an 'Ask anything' box, then the usual list of links. Previously, users saw a partial summary with a 'Show more' button. Google spokesperson Jennifer Kutz said, 'For some queries, AI Overviews may dynamically expand for topics where our systems determine it's most useful for people.' She added that Google's research shows users 'find Search more helpful and engage deeper in follow-up exploration.' Kutz also said Google cancels the expansion once a user has begun scrolling past the AI Overview, to preserve their reading position. Reporter Jay Peters found no consistent trigger during testing, with browsers and searches producing different results.
How we got here
Before this change, AI Overviews appeared partially, with a 'Show more' button letting users expand the summary if they wanted more detail. That setup left most of the traditional link list visible without extra scrolling. The auto-expand behavior reverses that default for some searches, showing the full AI Overview and an 'Ask anything' box before any links appear. Google spokesperson Jennifer Kutz said the company only expands automatically when its systems judge it useful, and stops expanding if a user has already scrolled past the summary. The exact trigger remains unclear, even to reporters testing repeated searches across different browsers.
Why this matters for you
For website owners, including crypto and Web3 projects, this could mean fewer visitors arriving from search, since users may get answers without clicking through. Builders who rely on organic search for education or onboarding may need to adjust content strategy. For everyday users, answers may arrive faster, but exposure to original sources drops. The shift also signals where information delivery is heading: toward summarized, conversational answers rather than link lists. That direction matters for anyone building or using AR and smart glasses, where quick, spoken or glanceable answers already replace scrolling through search results.
The bigger question
If AI summaries keep expanding and links keep sliding down the page, will the open web still reward original publishers, or will search evolve into a closed loop where AI reads the web so users don't have to? The answer could shape how information, including crypto news and project research, gets funded and discovered in the years ahead. Nobody outside Google has confirmed where the line will settle.
What to watch
Google has not announced a fixed rollout schedule or set criteria for when AI Overviews auto-expand. Watch for further comments from Google on which query types trigger the feature. Publishers and SEO trackers will likely report new patterns as data accumulates. Bonuz will follow how this shift affects search traffic and information discovery, especially as it relates to emerging AR and smart glasses interfaces.
