Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and the Gemini app are three separate Google surfaces, and a brand can be named in one and missing from another. AI Overviews are the AI summary above some Google results. AI Mode is a chat-style option inside Google Search for questions that need more exploring or comparing. The Gemini app is Google's assistant at gemini.google.com. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode may run several related searches for one question, which it calls query fan-out, and that the two may use different models, so their answers and links vary (Google Search Central, checked 14 Oct 2026).
On each surface a brand can track the same things: whether the answer names it, where it comes against its competitors, and which websites the answer cites. Depra AI tracks Google AI Overviews and Gemini daily on every plan. Google AI Mode is available on Enterprise as an add-on, set up by the Depra AI team (contact us).
What is the difference between Google AI Mode, AI Overviews and Gemini?
AI Overviews appear on a normal Google results page without being asked for. AI Mode is a separate conversation inside Google Search that a person opens. The Gemini app is a different product altogether, a chat assistant outside the results page. The table sets out the differences, with the Google page behind each line.
| Google AI Overviews | Google AI Mode | Gemini app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | An AI summary with key information and links, above some Google results | A chat-style search option in Google Search, with follow-up questions | Google's AI assistant at gemini.google.com |
| When it shows | Only when Google's systems decide AI can help; a search may show none | When a person opens it from the search bar, google.com/ai or the Google app | When a person asks it a question |
| How it finds pages | Google Search, may run several related searches (query fan-out) | Google Search, splits a question into subtopics and searches each | Can draw on the Google Search index at the time of the prompt |
| Links | Supporting links from the web | Supporting links; links can differ from AI Overviews for the same question | Sources and related links on some answers, not all |
| Site-owner control | Googlebot in robots.txt; nosnippet, max-snippet, noindex | Same as AI Overviews | Google-Extended in robots.txt, which does not affect Google Search |
| In Search Console | Generative AI performance report | Generative AI performance report | Not listed in that report |
| In Depra AI | Every plan, checked daily | Enterprise, as an add-on | Every plan, checked daily |
| Google source | AI Overviews help; AI features guide | AI Mode help; AI features guide | Gemini Apps help; Google crawlers |
What is Google AI Mode?
Google AI Mode is a conversation inside Google Search. Google's help page calls it "Google's most powerful AI search experience". It divides a question into subtopics, searches each one at the same time, and combines the results into one answer with links. A person can ask follow-up questions in the same conversation, and where its confidence is low, AI Mode may show a set of web links instead (Google Search Help, checked 14 Oct 2026).
AI Mode is open to everyone in India. Google started offering it in English on 8 July 2025, with no sign-up to Google's Labs experiments needed (Google India blog, checked 14 Oct 2026).
How are AI Overviews different from AI Mode?
The main difference is who starts the answer. Google shows an AI Overview on a normal results page when its systems decide generative AI can help, so many searches show none. A person cannot turn AI Overviews off, apart from choosing the Web filter after a search (Google Search Help, checked 14 Oct 2026). AI Mode is something a person opens on purpose. Google says it is most helpful for questions that need more exploration, reasoning or complex comparisons (Google Search Central, checked 14 Oct 2026).
Both draw on Google Search and follow the same rules for which pages they can link to. Google also says the two may use different models and techniques, so their answers and links will vary (Google Search Central, checked 14 Oct 2026). A citation in an AI Overview tells you nothing certain about AI Mode for the same question. Each needs its own check.
How is the Gemini app different from AI Mode?
The Gemini app is a separate product from Google Search. It is an assistant people chat with, and it does not sit on a results page. Google's crawler page says content from the Google Search index can be given to Gemini Apps at the time of a prompt, which Google calls grounding (Google crawlers, checked 14 Oct 2026). Gemini Apps help says not all responses include links or sources (Gemini Apps Help, checked 14 Oct 2026).
How often Gemini shows sources can change by language and over time. In the Hinglish vs English AI shopping study, Gemini cited sources in 90.0% of English answers and 41.3% of Hinglish answers in August 2026 (480 answers across three engines). In the October 2026 re-run (479 answers), the figures were 73.4% and 56.3%. Hinglish is Hindi and English typed in English letters.
The Gemini API, which developers call from code, is different again. Google's API docs say the model decides whether a search would help, then runs one or more searches (Gemini API docs, checked 14 Oct 2026). An API test is not a reading of what a shopper sees in the app.
How does a page get cited in AI Mode and AI Overviews?
For AI Mode SEO, Google's answer is ordinary Google SEO. To be a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode, a page must be indexed and eligible to show in Google Search with a snippet, the preview text under a result. Google says there are no extra technical requirements, no AI text files to create and no special schema to add (Google Search Central, checked 14 Oct 2026).
- Let Googlebot in. Google says robots.txt rules for Googlebot are the control, so blocking Googlebot removes you from both. The AI crawlers guide lists every bot.
- Know what Google-Extended does. It is a robots.txt token for Gemini training and grounding. Google says it does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google Search (Google crawlers, checked 14 Oct 2026).
- Check your snippet settings. nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet and noindex limit what Google can show from a page, in AI features too.
- Answer the sub-questions. Query fan-out searches subtopics, so answer each likely sub-question in the first lines of a section. Steps: how to rank in Google AI Overviews.
- Get named on the pages Google cites. Best-of lists, reviews and marketplace listings can appear as supporting links. Citation gap analysis shows which ones cite your competitors and not you.
What can Search Console tell you about AI Mode?
Search Console counts link impressions, not brand mentions. Its Generative AI performance report shows impressions of your site's links in AI Overviews and AI Mode, by page, country, date and device. Google says it rolled the report out to all websites worldwide as of 31 August 2026, and it leaves out Search Labs experiments (Search Console Help, checked 14 Oct 2026). Traffic from AI features is also counted inside the normal Web totals of the Performance report (Google Search Central, checked 14 Oct 2026).
The help page lists no count of brand mentions and does not list the Gemini app. So Search Console cannot tell you whether an answer named your brand or named a rival first. That is the job of an AI visibility tracker.
What should a brand track on each Google surface?
Track the same buying questions on all three surfaces, from the country you sell in, and keep the results apart. A combined "Google AI" score hides the fact that the three can disagree.
- Did an answer appear? AI Overviews do not show on every search, so keep "no Overview" apart from "Overview without you".
- Were you named, and in what order? The share of answers that name you and each competitor, and who comes first.
- Which sites were cited? The pages each answer linked to. These are the pages where getting named matters most.
- Which language? In India, ask in English and in Hinglish, because sources change with the language.
What does Depra AI track on Google surfaces?
Depra AI tracks Google AI Overviews and Gemini on every plan, and Google AI Mode on Enterprise as an add-on. It records brand mentions, order, tone and cited websites for you and each competitor.
- Google AI Overviews, every plan, daily: Depra AI loads the real Google results page for each question from inside your country and records whether an Overview appeared. Searches with no Overview are left out of your score. Details: Google AI Overview tracker.
- Gemini, every plan, daily: Depra AI captures the answer served in the gemini.google.com web app, with any sources Gemini shows. Details: Gemini visibility tracker.
- Google AI Mode, Enterprise add-on: set up by the Depra AI team, alongside Microsoft Copilot, Claude and other models. It is not part of Starter, Growth or Scale. Enterprise costs ₹25,000 a month plus 18% GST and is invoiced; see Depra AI pricing or contact us.
- What it does not do: product cards are recorded for ChatGPT only, and the web searches behind an answer are stored for ChatGPT only. Depra AI does not edit your website or guarantee a mention.