SGE, or Search Generative Experience, was Google’s original pre-launch name for its experimental AI-generated search summary feature, which was later officially launched and rebranded as AI Overviews.
Understanding this naming history helps clarify some earlier industry discussion and content still referencing “SGE,” which describes essentially the same underlying feature now more commonly known as AI Overviews.
The transition from an experimental, opt-in feature to a widely rolled-out, default search experience reflects Google’s broader, ongoing shift toward AI-generated search summaries.
We track the evolution of AI-generated search features within our SEO Content Strategy service.