Google Tests a Thinner Citations Panel on AI Overviews

Google is testing a thinner design for the citations panel that appears alongside AI Overviews — the strip of source links that currently sits to the side of the AI-generated summary.

What was spotted

The test was first flagged by Khushal Bherwani on X, who posted: "Google AI reference left side panel with different style." The redesigned panel is visibly narrower than the current default width, condensing the citation links into less on-page space.

Why it matters

A narrower citations panel means less visual weight for the links AI Overviews already surface, which could translate into fewer clicks through to the source sites — on top of the click-through decline publishers are already dealing with from AI Overviews generally. Making citations less prominent, even as a side effect of a layout test, cuts against the interests of the sites being cited in the first place.

This is a live test, not a confirmed global rollout, and Google hasn't issued a statement on the design change. Worth keeping an eye on your GSC "Web" search appearance data for AI Overview citation impressions if this rolls out more broadly — a thinner panel is the kind of change that could show up as an impressions dip without triggering an obvious algorithm-update signal.

Sources

• Khushal Bherwani on X — original spot with before/after screenshots
• Coverage via Search Engine Roundtable