Google Rolls Out Connected Apps in AI Search Mode
▼ Summary
– Google is rolling out connected apps in AI Mode for Search in the U.S., allowing users to send searches directly to services like Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music.
– With Instacart connected, AI Mode can add ingredients to a user’s cart; with Canva, it can show template options; with YouTube Music, it can curate and save a playlist.
– This new feature sends requests to external services, distinguishing it from Personal Intelligence, which uses connected Google apps as context for responses.
– Connected apps were previously available in the Gemini app, and Google built them using the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for linking AI to external tools.
– The rollout raises questions about app eligibility and visibility, as being a connected app could affect how tasks are handled versus returning search links.
Google has begun integrating connected apps into AI Mode within Search, allowing users to send queries directly to third-party services like Instacart, Canva, and YouTube Music. The feature is rolling out across the U.S. this week.
The update was detailed in a blog post by Chips Mistry, a senior product manager on Search, and Biharck Araújo, an engineering lead on Search. While app connections have existed in the Gemini app, this marks their arrival in Search itself.
How the Connections Function
Google provided three examples, one for each initial partner.
With Instacart connected, AI Mode can automatically add ingredients to your Instacart cart while you build a grocery list. Google notes that final checkout happens on Instacart’s own app or website.
If you link Canva, you can ask it to display template options for something like a flyer.
AI Mode can also generate a playlist and save it directly to YouTube Music, which Google owns. Instacart and Canva are the external companies in this launch group.
Google did not disclose additional partners, though the post states the company is working with a range of them and expects to introduce more apps soon.
Connected Apps vs. Personal Intelligence
Google uses similar terminology for two features that serve distinct purposes.
Personal Intelligence uses your connected Google apps as context for responses. It launched in January with Gmail and Google Photos, and Google added Calendar to it this week.
The new connections, however, send requests outward. AI Mode asks Canva for templates or places items in your Instacart cart, operating on services Google does not control.
Background on the Feature
Google introduced connected apps to the Gemini app earlier this year, with OpenTable, Canva, and Instacart among the first. These were built on Model Context Protocol, an open standard for linking AI systems to external tools. Gemini Spark picked up Canva, Dropbox, Instacart, OpenTable, and Zillow Rentals at the end of June, along with support for custom MCP connections.
That history remains within the Gemini app. Today’s Search rollout is limited to the U. S. at launch.
Why This Matters
Recipe sites, template platforms, and music roundups all rank for the types of searches Google used as examples. In Google’s examples, AI Mode offloads part of the task to a connected app rather than only returning links.
Nothing in Google’s post links that set of apps to search rankings, and the post does not explain how an app becomes eligible. In categories where AI Mode can hand off a task to a connected app, being on that list creates a second visibility question alongside whether your page ranks.
Looking Ahead
The next few launches will reveal which categories Google is adding connected actions to, and that list is worth watching more than any single integration.
Google has not publicly explained, as of publication, how a company joins that set, or whether a broader integration route is coming. Those details will show whether you can put yourself forward, or wait for Google to reach your category.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
