Google may be removing the citations card from AI Overviews
SEO Brodie Clark reports that Google is showing far fewer citation cards in desktop AI Overviews, but Google has not confirmed a test or bug. If your impressions dropped recently, add this to your list of possible causes.
- Brodie Clark reports citation cards disappearing from desktop AI Overviews; Google has not confirmed a test or bug.
- Fewer visible source links could cut impressions and clicks, so recent drops may not be ranking-related.
- Segment Search Console data by query and date, and don't make big changes until Google responds.
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Google may be testing a desktop AI Overviews layout without the citations card, the box that normally links to the sources behind the answer. The change was spotted by SEO Brodie Clark, and Google has not said whether it is a test or a bug, as reported by Search Engine Roundtable.
Is Google removing the AI Overviews citations card?
Not confirmed. Clark posted screenshots on X showing the card present in one result and missing in another. He says it previously showed 2-3 domains and that he now sees it far less often, calling the changes “brutal for websites.” On October 29, 2026 he said he was seeing it consistently across many test queries.
Barry Schwartz of Search Engine Roundtable could not replicate it after more than a day, and noticed the card sometimes loads in late. He asked Google’s Rajan Patel whether it is a bug or a test and had no reply when he published. He also notes Google has tested placing the card below the AI Overview, which could be related.
Why does the AI Overviews citations card test matter?
The citations card is one of the few prominent places in an AI Overview where a site gets a visible link. If it is hidden or delayed, fewer users see and click your domain, even if you are still cited in the answer. Schwartz points out that AI Overviews appear for over 80% of searches. That figure is his, not a figure from a study in this report, but it shows why even a small layout change can have a wide effect.
The practical risk is misdiagnosis. A drop in impressions or clicks that starts in late October could be read as a ranking problem or a core update when it is actually an interface change. Rankings could be stable while visibility falls. Because the test is unconfirmed and appears to be inconsistent across users, the effect on any given site may be uneven.
How to check if AI Overviews cut your impressions
- Segment Search Console data by date (before and after October 28, 2026) and compare queries that usually trigger AI Overviews with those that don’t.
- Check average position next to clicks and impressions. Stable position with falling clicks points to a SERP layout change, not a ranking loss.
- Spot-check manually on desktop in a few locations and logged-in states. The card may load late, so wait before judging.
- Record screenshots of your key queries with dates, so you can show the change to stakeholders.
- Hold off on large content or technical changes until Google confirms what this is.
Watch the original thread on X and Search Engine Roundtable for an answer from Google.