Google is testing a new verification feature in search to help users avoid clicking on fake website links.
Some users have seen blue ticks next to business links in search results, such as Meta or Apple companies.
“We regularly test features that help users identify trustworthy businesses online. Right now, we’re running a small test that shows a check mark next to some businesses on Google,” Molly Shaheen, a Google spokesperson, told The Verge.
When logged in on some accounts, checkmarks were seen next to official site links from Microsoft, Meta, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon, and HP.
However, these ticks no longer show up when signed in to another Google account, suggesting that this test has not yet been widely rolled out.
When you hover over a checkmark, it will display a message that “Google signals show that this business is as described.”
This is determined based on website verification, data from Merchant Center, and manual reviews, according to Shaheen.
Google has yet to officially announce the checkmarks in search, nor say when all users might see the feature.
