Google AI Overviews Tests Contextual Overlay Link Cards

Over the past week or so, Google has been testing a new format for link cards in the AI Overviews within Google Search. When you place your mouse cursor over a link clip icon, a new overlay will show you the page/site cards that line of text is being sourced from.

Here is a screenshot that I was able to trigger on Friday late morning in New York on Apple Safari desktop:

This was first spotted by Harpreet who posted this on X:

Google testing a new type of citation style in AI Overviews. Anyone seen this before? @rustybrick pic.twitter.com/ViGKwWj5Zo

— Harpreet (@harpreetchatha_) February 3, 2026

Then both Gagan Ghotra and Sachin Patel spotted it a couple of days later:

i also see this today pic.twitter.com/SkSOOKHZv6

— Sachin Patel (@SachuPatel53124) February 5, 2026

This might be related to the contextual links interface but I am really not sure.

Google has been experimenting with ways to make links more clickable from AI Overviews, the big question is, do any of these work?

This interface does not seem to be fully live, but does seem to be being tested heavily.

Forum discussion at X.