Google has introduced a new feature to help you find out more about the sites that appear when you use the search engine. Assuming you live in the United States from today, you will see a three dot icon next to each search result. If you tap on one of them, whether you’re on a mobile or a desktop, the website is described on the other side of the link.
In most cases, the information will come from Wikipedia, unless Google points you to one of its services, in which case you will get a clear idea of how the data is obtained. In cases where none is available, you will get basic information about the site, such as when it was first indexed. In each case, there will be a comment if your connection to the site is secured by HTTPS.
According to Google, you can do a few things with this feature. First, save yourself the hassle of doing a second search to find out about the site you are going to visit. Second, Google suggests that the panels will enable you to make more informed decisions about how to use the Internet and provide peace of mind if you are looking for important information on topics such as financial advice.
But if Google relies so heavily on Wikipedia, the descriptions will be just as useful as the summaries you find on the site. Wikipedia’s editors are not perfect, and they have not yet written about every website there is. In addition, the feature falls into the modern interface for designing interfaces to hide useful information behind an overflow menu. If someone does not know how to tap on the three dot icon, they can not take advantage of the additional information provided by Google.