Google rethinks search results with its new AI-curated ‘Web Guide’

On Thursday, Google launched Web Guide, a new AI-powered search feature that “groups links in helpful ways” for people who opt in to the test on Labs. Web Guide runs on a custom version of Google’s Gemini AI model to process search queries, reorganizing the traditional “10 blue links” by sorting results and finding related questions using generative AI.

For anyone who chooses to enable Web Guide, it is currently available within the same “Web” tab on Google Search that currently shows search results without including AI Overviews. It uses the same “query fanout technique” as AI Mode, allowing Gemini to break down queries and make several searches at once.

When I searched for “how to care for a mango tree,” Google’s Web Guide pulled up two relevant webpages, followed by an AI-generated summary and links listed under different categories, like “Mango Tree Care in Specific Climates” and “Troubleshooting Mango Tree Issues.” Some of the links came from educational resources, like from the University of Florida, while others led to YouTube videos, Quora, and Reddit threads. Last year, Google made a $60 million-per-year deal with Reddit to use its content for AI training.

It’s nice that Web Guide brings back some elements of traditional search, like showing links at the top of your results page instead of bombarding you with an AI Overview and YouTube videos that take up almost half the page. The AI-generated categories were somewhat helpful for tracking down specific bits of information, but the descriptions beneath each heading just seem unnecessary.

Beneath “Comprehensive Mango Tree Care Guides,” for example, Web Guide notes, “The most effective way to care for a mango tree varies slightly depending on its age, location, and specific cultivar, so it’s useful to consult multiple guides for comprehensive instructions,” which is a bit obvious, and probably something I could find out myself from actually clicking one of the surfaced links.

You can also use Web Guide to ask more detailed or specific questions, like “My family is spread across multiple time zones. What are the best tools for staying connected and maintaining close relationships despite the distance?” The AI results will attempt to address the different parts of your question.

You can still switch back to regular web results, but Google is already saying it plans on bringing it to the “All” tab as well. You can try out Web Guide now by toggling on the test in Search Labs.