Do you think Google's Search results could use a little context? You're in luck because the company is rolling out a new feature—Google Search Notes—that will let web users add comments to search results, similar to Twitter's Community Notes.
The experimental feature rolled out in Google Search Labs today in the US and India. To access it, download and install the Google app on Android or iOS, tap the flask icon, and enable the Notes on Search feature. There's a button to try a quick example, or you can just start searching the web.
(Credit: Google)Most results don't have notes yet. To add one, tap the Add Note button, write out what you want to say, add images or stickers, and post. Once done, the note goes up alongside everyone else's for future searchers to read. You can also save other people's notes for future reference and follow queries to get updates when new notes are posted.
Google says notes are moderated using a combination of algorithms and humans. The two work side-by-side to mark notes safe and accurate or to purge abusive content and misinformation. Each note is also ranked based on how relevant it is to the topic. That means low-quality or off-topic notes will be sorted to the bottom.
In an interview with The Verge, Google VP Cathy Ewards said the Search team has, "learned a lot from our Maps and YouTube colleagues, who have a bunch of experience with content moderation at this point." Google also isn't letting people post links in Notes, at least not at this time, and actively encourages potential posters to read Google's community guidelines.
