Google is currently beta testing an AI Chat feature on its developer pages subdomain
Google is currently beta testing an AI Chat feature on its developer pages subdomain. This feature is designed to answer questions about the content on developer pages, including SEO, structured data, and ranking documentation.
The new feature, named Side Panel Chat, is accessible only via desktop devices, not on mobile. It’s available in many regions but requires users to create a Developer Profile, which involves signing into a Google account but doesn’t require email verification.
According to Google, the developer profile helps personalize responses in the chat panel. The profile is gamified, offering achievements and badges for unlocking various milestones.
The AI chat can address questions related to anything within the developer pages documentation, though it sometimes gives off-track responses. For example, when asked for five effective link-building strategies, one of the suggestions was to write guest posts and include a backlink in the author bio, which could be considered dubious advice. Another suggestion was creating infographics but without mentioning backlinks.
The side panel chat icon on Google’s developer pages allows users to initiate a chat. When asked for the top five tips to rank high in Google’s search results, the AI chat suggested the following, with explanations for each:
- Create high-quality, relevant content
- Build high-quality backlinks
- Optimize your website for technical SEO
- Promote your content
- Monitor your results and make adjustments
The chat’s scope is limited to questions related to the developer pages documentation and cannot answer unrelated questions. Since the AI chat is in a beta testing phase, it may occasionally fail to answer valid questions or provide questionable answers. Google encourages users to provide feedback to help improve the service.
Google’s documentation advises users to rephrase their questions if they encounter errors. If the chat incorrectly states that it cannot respond to a question, users can report the issue by clicking the Send feedback icon at the top of the Side Panel Chat.
