Google Testing Verified Checkmarks on Sources in Search

Google is reportedly experimenting with a verification system for search. In order to validate a website and the source, it appears as though Google is placing a blue checkmark next to the source’s name.

As first reported by The Verge, some users have begun to see blue verification checkmarks pop up next to business names while searching on Google. The core idea is to provide users more reassurance that the website they’ll be navigating to is authentic and claims to be the one stated on search. Examples of this include companies like Microsoft, Meta, Epic Games, HP, Apple, and others.

A blue verification checkmark system will ideally help users avoid sites that abuse Google search conventions like naming or otherwise. There are copious websites that exist and plague a user’s experience by claiming to be another company and being fraudulent. “We regularly experiment with features that help shoppers identify trustworthy businesses online, and we are currently running a small experiment showing checkmarks next to certain businesses on Google,” Molly Shaheen, a Google public affairs spokesperson, said to The Verge.

As of the time of writing, it seems as though Google is testing this with a limited user base. For instance, you may see blue checkmarks while signed into Google under a specific account. Log out or use Incognito Mode and you may no longer see the blue verification checkmarks.

Navigating to the blue checkmark itself renders a pop-up notice. It reads, “This icon is being shown because Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is. Google can’t guarantee the reliability of this business or its products.” Google is said to be leveraging website verification Merchant Center data, and manual reviews in order to better determine the authenticity of sites.