Google Tests AI Mode Shortcut Buttons Beneath Its Search Box

Google has confirmed it is running a small desktop test that places three new buttons directly beneath the Google homepage search box. The buttons, labeled "Create images," "Ask about files," and "Brainstorm," each route users into AI Mode when clicked. Google VP of Product Robby Stein confirmed the test on X, saying it is designed to help people discover new things they can do with Search and that it does not change how the standard search box behaves.

What happened

Detail	Fact
Test type	Limited desktop test
Buttons added	Create images, Ask about files, Brainstorm
Destination on click	Google AI Mode
Location on page	Beneath the search box, under a plus sign on the left
Confirmed by	Robby Stein, Google VP of Product, via X
Impact on core search box	None, per Google

Google is placing three shortcut buttons directly below its homepage search field on desktop. Each one is a fast entry point into AI Mode, Google’s conversational, AI-powered layer within Search. The buttons appear under a plus sign on the left side of the search bar, not as standalone calls to action sitting in open space.

Robby Stein wrote on X: “This is a small test on desktop to help people find new things they can do with Search.” He was quick to add: “No impact to how the core search box works, just add your question and hit enter as usual (which is how most people search anyways!)”

Why it matters

The test is a clear signal that Google wants meaningful AI Mode adoption, not just passive availability. Putting “Brainstorm” and “Ask about files” on the homepage is a direct nudge at users who have never tried AI Mode and might not even know it exists.

If the test rolls out broadly, it could meaningfully shift how users enter AI Mode. Right now, most people reach it through a tab or a prompt within results. A homepage button lowers that barrier considerably, and more AI Mode sessions means fewer traditional organic clicks flowing to publishers and businesses.

For anyone tracking organic search performance, this is worth watching. A shift in user behavior at the homepage level is upstream of ranking and could affect traffic volumes before any algorithm change does.

Our take

There is an honest observation buried in the Search Engine Land piece: the author notes that after 20 years of ignoring the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button, they may simply be conditioned to ignore these new ones too. That is a real risk for Google. Button placement on a page people open reflexively, type into immediately, and leave, is not prime real estate for discovery.

That said, “Ask about files” is a genuinely different proposition from anything Google has put on its homepage before. It implies a workflow, not just a query. If Google can get even a small percentage of users to try it once, habit formation could do the rest.

For businesses running paid search campaigns, the more immediate concern is whether a wider AI Mode rollout compresses the standard results page further. The homepage buttons themselves are not the threat. What happens inside AI Mode once users get there is.

We cover how these changes play out in traffic and conversion data across our AI and search news coverage. Right now, watch your AI Mode impression share in Search Console if you have access to it, and note whether direct or branded traffic patterns shift over the next few weeks.

What to do about it

1. Check Google Search Console for any new AI Mode or Search Generative Experience impression data tied to your top queries.
2. Note your current organic click-through rates as a baseline before any broader rollout changes user behavior.
3. Test the three AI Mode features yourself so you understand what kind of answers your competitors’ content might now be surfaced inside.
4. Flag this to your SEO or marketing team as something to revisit in 30 to 60 days once rollout data becomes clearer.

Source: Search Engine Land