Google AI Mode Now Books For You, Expands Globally
▼ Summary
– Google is introducing agentic booking features in AI Mode for U.S. Google AI Ultra subscribers, starting with restaurant reservations.
– The AI can interpret detailed requests, check real-time availability across platforms, and link users to complete bookings.
– New planning features include shareable AI responses and personalized dining suggestions based on prior user interactions and data.
– The technology relies on live web browsing, partner integrations, and data from Knowledge Graph and Maps, with OpenTable and others as initial partners.
– Availability is currently limited to U.S. subscribers and opt-in users, with plans to expand globally and to services like local appointments and event tickets.
Google’s AI Mode is taking a significant leap forward, evolving from providing answers to actively completing tasks on your behalf. The tech giant has begun rolling out agentic booking capabilities, starting with restaurant reservations for U.S.-based subscribers of Google AI Ultra who are enrolled in the Labs program. This expansion is part of a broader global rollout, with AI Mode now accessible in over 180 countries and territories in English, and more languages coming soon.
The new reservation feature allows AI Mode to interpret detailed user requests, scan real-time availability across multiple booking platforms, and direct users to the appropriate page to finalize their reservation. For businesses, this means more discovery and conversion activity is happening directly within Google’s ecosystem, reducing the need for users to navigate away.
Robby Stein recently highlighted on The Keyword that the initial focus is on restaurant bookings, with plans to soon include local service appointments and event tickets. This shift represents a broader ambition to make Search not just an information tool, but an active assistant in daily planning and decision-making.
Alongside booking, Google is introducing enhanced planning features. Users in the U.S. can now share AI Mode responses with others, allowing collaborators to ask follow-up questions and continue the research process independently. Sharing permissions can be revoked at any time for added control. Additionally, opt-in U.S. Labs participants will receive personalized dining suggestions based on previous Search and Maps interactions, with privacy controls managed through Google Account settings.
Behind the scenes, this functionality is powered by live web browsing via Project Mariner, integrations with partner platforms, and signals from Google’s Knowledge Graph and Maps. Key partners in this initiative include OpenTable, Resy, Tock, Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek, and Booksy. While dining is the first category to benefit, local services and ticketing are next in line.
Access to these features is currently limited. The agentic reservation tool is exclusive to Google AI Ultra subscribers in the U.S. who have joined the “Agentic capabilities in AI Mode” Labs experiment. Personalized suggestions are also U.S.-only and require opt-in consent, beginning with dining-related topics. Response sharing is available to all U.S. users.
For businesses that rely on reservations or ticketing, it’s essential to ensure that inventory details, operating hours, and policy information are accurate and up to date. Clean structured data and well-maintained Business Profile attributes will be critical as Google continues to integrate more tasks and expand into new regions. Monitoring how bookings and referrals appear in analytics will provide valuable insights as this functionality grows.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
