On November 10, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported a test on phones in which Google's AI local results show fewer or no call and directions buttons, photos and review stars.
The report credits the screenshots to Joy Hawkins, says the address and hours were reduced too, and says the usual local pack disappears whenever the test appears. Google has not confirmed the change.
If your own listing looked bare inside an AI Overview, that card alone is not a sign your Business Profile has a problem, and customers still have several ways to reach you. They can tap your business name, open Google Maps or visit your website. A sparse card by itself cannot tell you whether calls changed; your own numbers can.
The first step takes about ten minutes. Search your main service plus your town on your phone, then search your exact business name, and save a screenshot of what each one shows.
Key Takeaways
On November 10, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported a mobile test with fewer buttons, photos and reviews in AI local results, based on screenshots attributed to Joy Hawkins. Google has not confirmed it, so describe it as a test.
They can select your business name, open Maps, use the Web filter, visit your website or search your business name directly. Google says verified profiles can show your website, phone number, location, hours, photos and reviews on Search and Maps.
Compare Search, Maps and your website, test every link, and compare calls, website clicks, direction requests and bookings over a comparison period. If only the AI card differs, keep the profile current and record what you saw.
What did the November 10 report actually show?
Search Engine Roundtable said the test affects the AI-powered local results inside Google Search on mobile. In the version it described, action buttons, photos, reviews, address and hours were removed or reduced, and the traditional local pack was absent while the test showed. The screenshots and observations came from Joy Hawkins, and the report said the change appeared "in the last few days."
Google has not publicly confirmed the change, explained how many searchers see it, or called it permanent. Google's own help page on AI Overviews says responses can vary and can contain mistakes, so a layout you see on your phone may differ from the one a customer sees across town. Treat it as something some searchers on phones are seeing, and record what yours shows.
| Date | What happened | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| November 10, 2026 | A mobile test was reported in which AI local results show fewer or no action buttons, photos, reviews, address and hours | Search Engine Roundtable |
| November 10, 2026 | Screenshots and observations credited to Joy Hawkins, seen "in the last few days" | Search Engine Roundtable |
| November 10, 2026 | The traditional local pack was reported absent whenever the test appeared | Search Engine Roundtable |
| November 10, 2026 | Google has not publicly confirmed the change, its scope or whether it is permanent | Search Engine Roundtable report |
Can customers still call, get directions and read reviews?
Yes. The listing a customer sees inside an AI Overview is one view of your business, and the underlying profile and website are unchanged. Google's Business Profile help says a verified profile can show your website, phone number, location, hours, photos and reviews on Google Search and Maps. If an AI card leaves out a button, a customer has these paths:
- Select the business name in the card to open the fuller listing.
- Open Google Maps and look up the business there.
- Use the Web filter in Search to reach website results.
- Visit your website and use the phone number or contact form there.
- Search your exact business name to get the standard result.
The exact layout can vary by query, device, account, location and test status, so a customer on another phone may see a fuller card than you do. Your action buttons on your Google listing still depend on the profile details and links you maintain.
What does Google say about local businesses in AI Overviews?
Google Search Central says AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on the same foundational SEO principles as ordinary Search, and that AI features need no special technical requirements or AI-only markup. A page eligible for a normal Search snippet can be eligible as a supporting link, though Google does not guarantee crawling, indexing, serving or inclusion. Google also says AI Overviews and AI Mode may use different systems, so responses and links can differ between them.
For local details, Google says results draw on the Business Profile, your official website, public web content, licensed third-party data, user contributions, business owners and Google's own interactions with a place, as described in its Business Profile help. Local ranking rests mainly on relevance, distance and prominence, and Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
Structured data can describe hours and other details on your site, but Google says it does not guarantee that a feature will appear.
How do you check your listing in ten minutes?
You can do this alone, on the phone your customers are likely to use, and the result is a dated record you can compare against later. Work through the steps in order and write down what each one shows. Google's AI Mode results can differ from AI Overviews, so if you want to see both, see how your business shows up in Google AI Mode as a separate pass.
The Ten-Minute Check
On your phone, search your main service plus your town. Note whether an AI Overview appears and whether your business is named in it.
Note whether an AI Overview appears and what the card shows: phone, website, directions, photos, hours, address and review stars.
Open every link the card offers and confirm it goes where a customer expects.
Open Maps separately and compare the buttons, photos, hours and reviews there.
Visit your site from the result and test the phone link, contact form, directions link and booking link.
Save a screenshot of each step with the date, device and query, because layouts can vary from one search to the next. Repeat once in a signed-out or incognito window if you can. Those screenshots let you show a vendor, or yourself next month, exactly what appeared and when.
What should you check on your Business Profile and website?
If the check turns up anything odd, start with the profile itself. Confirm the business name matches how you appear in the real world, because Google's guidelines for representing your business call for the real-world name and warn that unnecessary extra information can lead to suspension. Keywords added to the name will not bring a button back. Then confirm the primary category, service area or address, hours, phone number, website and action links.
Next, test the website paths a customer would use after tapping through: the phone link, the contact form, the directions link and any booking link. A form that does not send or a number that is not tappable costs you customers whether or not an AI card shows a button. Google also says structured data should match the visible text on the page, so keep your hours and contact details the same in both places.
Finally, compare calls, website clicks, direction requests and bookings over a comparison period, such as the same weeks a month or a year earlier if your business is seasonal. A change in those numbers is worth investigating; one phone showing a different card tells you nothing about how many customers called. If only the AI Overview display differs, keep the profile current and keep your screenshots. Updating your Business Profile is quick for small edits such as hours, phone and website.
How do you tell a display change from a profile problem?
Compare what the AI card shows against the same business in Maps, ordinary Search and your website. When those match each other and only the AI card is sparse, you are looking at a display variation. When they disagree, or a link fails, the problem is in your data or your site, and you can fix it. If the business is missing from AI Overviews entirely, that is a different question, covered in why a business can disappear from a Google AI Overview.
| What you see | What it points to | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The AI card is sparse, but Maps and ordinary Search show buttons, photos, reviews and correct details | A display variation in the AI result | Keep the profile current and save a dated screenshot |
| Hours, phone number or website are wrong in Maps | A profile data problem | Correct them in your Business Profile |
| The phone link, form, directions link or booking link fails on your site | A website path problem | Fix the link or form, then retest on a phone |
| Two listings for one business, a suspended profile, a failed verification or no access to the account | An account or listing problem | Get help recovering and merging the right profile |
| Calls, website clicks, direction requests or bookings fall over a comparison period | A change worth investigating | Compare with the same period before blaming the display |
If the AI card shows something wrong rather than something missing, such as an old phone number, see what to do when a Google AI Overview gets your business wrong.
When is paid help worth it?
You can finish the first check alone in ten minutes, and for a display variation the answer is to keep the profile current and record what appears. No vendor can promise that Google restores a particular layout, a permanent button, inclusion in every AI response or more calls, and Google says there is no way to request or pay for better local ranking.
Paid help makes sense when the problem is deeper than one screenshot: duplicate profiles, verification trouble, suspensions, conflicting business data, broken website conversion paths, several locations, accounts nobody can open, or a need to compare performance over time. Careful Google Business Profile management covers the profile side, and generative engine optimization covers how your business is represented in AI answers.
Display change or profile problem?
Pick an answer to begin.
1. Who reported the mobile test on November 10, 2026?
2. A customer sees a sparse AI card for your business. Which path still works?
3. Which of these is a good reason to pay for help?
Frequently Asked Questions About Google AI Overview Local Results
Did Google remove local business buttons from AI Overviews?
Google has not confirmed a universal or permanent removal. On November 10, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported a mobile test in which some AI local results show fewer or no buttons, photos and reviews.
Can customers still call or get directions from my business?
Yes. They can open your Business Profile or Maps result, visit your website, search your exact business name, or use any phone and directions controls still shown in Search.
Does a missing review row mean my reviews were deleted?
A missing review row in one AI card is a different thing from missing reviews. Check the full Business Profile and Maps before concluding that the reviews themselves changed.
Do I need special AI markup or schema?
No. Google says AI features have no additional technical requirements and need no AI-only markup. Ordinary Search eligibility and the same foundational SEO practices apply.
Will adding keywords to my business name bring the buttons back?
No. Google's guidelines call for the real-world business name and warn that unnecessary additions can lead to suspension.
How do I know whether fewer buttons cost me calls?
Compare calls, website clicks, direction requests and bookings over a comparison period, and compare them with the same period a month or a year earlier. Your own records are the only evidence of a change in customer actions.
Moving Forward
A sparse AI local card is a display you can record, not a verdict on your business. Google has not confirmed the test reported on November 10, 2026, customers still have Maps, your Business Profile, your website and your phone number, and Google's own pages say AI features follow the same foundations as ordinary Search. Your job is to keep the profile accurate, keep every link and form working, and watch your own numbers.
Doing that once a month costs little and holds up whatever Google changes next. You will be able to tell an interface variation from a profile problem, and you will have dated screenshots to prove which one you saw.
If a check turns up something you cannot fix alone, Web Leveling can help. Our local SEO work covers your profile, your website paths and the numbers that show whether customers are reaching you, and we will say plainly when the cause is only how Google displays a card. We work with small and medium businesses across the country and overseas. Contact us about your Google listing and bring your screenshots.
Terms
Words used in this post
Tap a term to see what it means.
AI Overview. An AI-written summary at the top of some Google search results, with links to sources.
AI Mode. A separate Google Search experience for longer AI-assisted questions, which may use different systems from AI Overviews.
Local pack. The short list of nearby businesses with a map that Google shows for many local searches.
Business Profile. A business's free listing on Google Search and Maps, with its hours, phone, website, photos and reviews.
Action buttons. The Call, Directions, Website and booking buttons a customer taps on a listing.
Structured data. Code on a web page that labels details such as business hours so search engines can read them.
