Google Tests New Mobile Sitelinks Designs

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Google sitelinks layout displayed on a smartphone showing stacked search results

By NewSunSEO October 1, 2026

More control over how your pages are grouped in mobile search results is coming into view, as Google tests new sitelinks designs that rearrange the familiar list of sub-links beneath a result. The latest variations shift the layout from the standard grid to a stacked, line-by-line format, and one of them adds a horizontal accent line down the left edge of the snippet.

The tests were spotted on mobile search and shared through X and SERPalerts, with screenshots showing how text-based ads would render under each new layout. One variation uses darker text for every sitelink and a margin along the left-hand side, giving the block a more list-like feel than the current multi-column arrangement.

What the new sitelinks layouts look like

Two distinct mobile designs are being tested side by side. The first stacks every sitelink on its own line, separated visually by a thin horizontal line running down the left side of the snippet. Each link sits in bolder, darker text than the surrounding ad description, which lifts the sub-links out of the body copy.

The second variation omits the left-side line but adds inline images next to certain sitelinks, so each entry carries a small thumbnail beside the link text. Inline image sitelinks have appeared in earlier experiments, but the latest screenshot shows them positioned inside the ad block itself rather than only inside organic listings.

Why these changes matter for advertisers and publishers

Sitelinks give a single search result more surface area on the page, letting it point to multiple destinations instead of just one. For text ads, each sitelink is its own clickable URL, so the order, styling and visibility of those links directly shape how many clicks each path receives.

A line-by-line layout makes every sitelink easier to scan on a phone screen, because the eye does not have to jump across columns. A left-side accent line reinforces that the block is a distinct unit, separate from the main ad copy above it. Inline images, meanwhile, add a visual cue that can pull attention toward one sitelink over another, which is useful when the destination pages have strong brand visuals or product imagery worth showing.

How the test was spotted

The screenshots surfaced on social media rather than through an official Google announcement, which is the usual path for early-stage layout experiments. A post on X and the SERPalerts account captured both the line-and-margin version and the inline-image version, with the inline-image version flagged as something that had not been seen in that exact form before.

Google runs many visual experiments in search results, and not every design seen in testing reaches all users. Google tests these layouts on a limited set of queries, devices, and regions, and can pull a layout just as fast as it rolls one out. Seeing the screenshots now shows which directions the design team is exploring, so publishers and advertisers can plan around the sitelink experiences on mobile that the screenshots suggest.

What to watch next

Publishers running text ads with sitelink extensions should pay attention to which destinations are being linked from each ad. The more visual real estate a sitelink gets, the more important the landing page becomes, because users will judge each link on its own merit rather than treating the block as a single unit.

For organic search, sitelinks are generated automatically by Google from a site’s own structure, so the same layout shifts will change how site sections appear in blue-link results as well. Clear site hierarchy, descriptive page titles, and well-structured internal links remain the levers publishers control, since Google chooses which pages to surface as sitelinks and how to label them.

For advertisers, the practical move is to review current sitelink extensions and confirm that each linked URL has a strong mobile landing page, a clear page title, and content that matches the link’s promise. As sitelinks gain visual emphasis, mismatches between the link and the page it lands on will stand out more.

FAQ

What is new in Google’s sitelinks test?

Google is testing a mobile sitelinks layout that lists each sitelink on its own line with darker text and a horizontal line running down the left side of the snippet. A separate variation adds inline images next to individual sitelinks inside text-based ads.

How do sitelinks affect mobile search ads?

Sitelinks add extra clickable URLs beneath a single ad, so each one sends traffic to a different destination on the advertiser’s site. A more visual or list-like arrangement changes which destinations users notice first and can shift the click distribution across the linked pages.

Do the new sitelinks designs affect organic search results?

Google generates sitelinks for organic results automatically based on a site’s structure, so any new mobile layout that rolls out broadly will also change how organic sitelinks appear. Publishers cannot choose which pages show as sitelinks, but clear site hierarchy and descriptive page titles help Google pick the strongest candidates.

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