Google is experimenting with a new verification feature in search that should make it easier for users to avoid clicking on fake or fraudulent website links. Some people are seeing blue verified checkmarks beside business links in Google search results that indicate the company — like Meta or Apple — is genuine, and not some copycat attempting to benefit from a recognizable brand.

“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,” Google public affairs spokesperson Molly Shaheen told The Verge.

My colleague Jay Peters spotted checkmarks next to official site links for Microsoft, Meta, Epic Games, Apple, Amazon, and HP, but these were no longer displayed once he logged into a different Google account — meaning this experiment isn’t being rolled out widely just yet.

Hovering over a checkmark will display a message that explains “Google’s signals suggest that this business is the business that it says it is,” which is determined by things like website verification, Merchant Center data, and manual reviews according to Shaheen.

Image: Google / Jay Peters

The new search experiment seems to be an extension of Google’s Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) feature, which is used to display checkmarks in Gmail’s web and mobile apps next to senders who have adopted the verification platform. Google hasn’t officially announced the search checkmarks yet, or said when (or if) more users can expect to see the feature.