Google Search AI Mode

AI Mode in Google Search (google.com/ai)

The AI Mode tab runs full Gemini reasoning over live web retrieval. Its standout is Deep Search: browse hundreds of sites → a fully-cited, multi-page report in ~2–5 min, saved in AI Mode history.

Before doing anything in this skill, read google-ai-ultra/reference.md first. That reference file contains account-tier requirements, regional restrictions, and Labs opt-in details that gate every mode below.

When to Use

Route here when the user wants:

• A fast, Search-grounded, citation-heavy research report (Deep Search).
• Agentic Search tasks such as restaurant reservations.
• Background monitoring via information agents ("keep me updated on…", "alert me when…").

This skill complements — not replaces — gemini-app Deep Research and notebooklm. Prefer gemini-app Deep Research for longer-form, non-search-grounded synthesis. Prefer notebooklm for source-grounded Q&A over user-uploaded documents.

Hard requirements

• Web & App Activity must be ON in the Google Account. Without it, AI Mode and Deep Search will not function.
• Deep Search is restricted to US region, English language, Google AI Pro/Ultra subscribers. It is not available on free tiers.
• Agentic capabilities require opt-in via Search Labs.
• Information agents require Google AI Ultra.

Prerequisites

1. A Google account with AI Pro or Ultra subscription (for Deep Search).
2. Web & App Activity enabled: Google Account → Data & privacy → Web & App Activity → ON.
3. Browser automation MCP tools available (browser_navigate, browser_snapshot, browser_type, browser_click, browser_wait_for, browser_evaluate, browser_take_screenshot).
4. Read google-ai-ultra/reference.md before first use — it documents tier gating, Labs opt-in steps, and regional checks.

Modes

Procedure

Deep Search report (core path)

1. Navigate to AI Mode.

   browser_navigate → https://www.google.com/ai
   

2. Snapshot the page to find the AI Mode query box.

   browser_snapshot
   

3. Type the complex research query and submit.

   browser_type → <query text>, submit=true
   

4. Snapshot the response area to locate the Deep Search option near the response.

   browser_snapshot
   

5. Click Deep Search.

   browser_click → Deep Search option
   

6. Wait for the report. Deep Search runs 2–5 minutes server-side.

   browser_wait_for(time=120)
   

7. Poll until complete. Repeat snapshot + wait cycles (up to ~3×) until the report is fully rendered and the status leaves "Searching…".

   browser_snapshot
   browser_wait_for(time=60)
   

   Repeat up to 3 times.

8. Extract the report text. Target the report container identified in the snapshot.

   browser_evaluate → () => document.querySelector('[role="main"]')?.innerText
   

   Adjust the selector to match the actual report container from the snapshot.

9. Extract citations. Scope to the report region to reduce noise.

   browser_evaluate → () => [...document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="http"]')].map(a => ({ text: a.innerText, href: a.href }))
   

   Filter the result by domain, dropping nav/footer links.

10. Optional: take a screenshot for a visual record.

    browser_take_screenshot
    

Agentic capabilities (reservations, etc.)

1. Ensure Search Labs opt-in is active for the account (see google-ai-ultra/reference.md).
2. browser_navigate → https://www.google.com/ai
3. browser_snapshot → find the query box.
4. browser_type a task-oriented query (e.g., "Book a table at [restaurant] for [time]"), submit=true.
5. browser_snapshot → look for agentic action prompts or reservation widgets.
6. Follow on-screen prompts via browser_click as needed.

Information agents (Ultra only)

1. Confirm the account is Ultra tier.
2. browser_navigate → https://www.google.com/ai
3. browser_type a query that includes "keep me updated on…" or "alert me when…", submit=true.
4. browser_snapshot → confirm the information agent was created and note its monitoring parameters.

Pitfalls

• No "Deep Search" option appears → The account is not Pro/Ultra, or the region/language is not US/English. Report this to the user and fall back to gemini-app Deep Research.
• "Web & App Activity is off" → Direct the user to Google Account → Data & privacy → Web & App Activity → ON, then retry.
• Report stuck after 5 minutes → Deep Search completes server-side. Navigate to AI Mode History (google.com/ai → History) to find the finished report.
• browser_evaluate returns null → Selector drift. Always browser_snapshot first and target the report container's actual ref/role from the snapshot.
• Citation array is huge or noisy → Scope querySelectorAll('a') to the report node (not document) and filter by domain, dropping nav/footer links.
• Agentic capabilities missing → Search Labs opt-in may not be enabled. Check google-ai-ultra/reference.md for opt-in steps.
• Information agents unavailable → Requires Ultra tier; Pro and free tiers do not support this mode.

Verification

Confirm success with these checks:

1. Report content is substantive. The extracted text is a multi-paragraph report with citation markers and a source list — not a single AI Overview blurb.

   browser_evaluate → () => document.querySelector('[role="main"]')?.innerText
   

   Verify the output length and structure.

2. Citation array is non-trivial. Expect dozens or more entries.

   browser_evaluate → () => [...document.querySelectorAll('a[href^="http"]')].map(a => ({ text: a.innerText, href: a.href }))
   

   Spot-check 2–3 href values resolve to real, live pages.

3. Report is saved in history. Navigate to AI Mode History and confirm the report appears for the query.

   browser_navigate → https://www.google.com/ai
   browser_snapshot → locate and click History
   browser_snapshot → confirm the Deep Search report is listed
   

Related skills

• gemini-app — Deep Research for longer-form, non-search-grounded synthesis.
• notebooklm — Source-grounded Q&A over user-uploaded documents.
• google-ai-ultra — Read google-ai-ultra/reference.md for tier gating, Labs opt-in, and regional requirements that apply to this skill.