All links for switching to Maps are missing from Google Search results [duplicate]

Question

Problem with Google Search

When I perform a search at www.google.com while logged in to my profile, the results are now missing the normal Google product links I would see at the top of the page directly under the search box. Missing links include Maps which would normally repeat the same search, but at www.google.com/maps.

The problem goes away if I'm logged out and in a Private Window, and the search results display the links as per normal and I can work around the issue while logged in by navigating directly to Maps and starting my location searches from there.

The example search below is for a location and I want the Maps link displayed, but the same issue happens for all search queries: Whether searching a location or not, for all searches, normal search links normally located under the search box are always missing.

I play GeoGuessr and I use Maps a lot for research. I have not received any warnings about my Maps usage but I wondered if maybe this is Google's attempt at soft-throttling me for overuse.

Example

For example, if I perform a search for [the pink house, christmas island] then this is what I expect to see (highlight added by me):

But, this is what I actually see when logged in to my profile:

Image Annotations

1. There would normally be alink.
   • Clicking it would switch to Maps with the location search pre-populated.
   • In contrast the is labeled Map not Maps and clicking it merely adds the word Map to the existing search query without switching to Google Maps.
2. Usually, if thelink is hidden I can find it under the menu but that menu is missing and Maps is not listed under the menu.
3. Normally the map preview is clickable. For some reason, clicking the map now does nothing.
4. The address is still clickable, however, not every search will generate an address, so this is not always an option.

Crossposted

I also posted this question on the Google Support Community Forum

Answer 1

There are two typical causes.

1. You might be part of an A/B testing experiment.
2. There might be something on your regular browser that might interfere with the normal work of the web application, in this case, Google (www.google.com).

A/B Testing

This is a short name to refer to user experience research experiments. Google runs a lot of these types of tests on their search engine. Sometimes, they give the users an option to opt-out, sometimes not.

To learn more about the concept as general knowledge, read A/B Testing. If you want to give feedback about this to Google, the place to do this is on the same results page, Settings (cog wheel / gear) button > Send feedback.

Related

• Why are my search results in Google missing the descriptions?

Interference

Many things might be interfering with your Google (www.google.com) experience. A common source of these problems is web browser extensions. Something simple that might be a good idea to try first is to disable all the extensions. Then, only enable an extension again until you need it. This plan works well for users who have been installing extensions over the years, which might have accumulated many that are no longer using them.

If you want to follow a more systematic approach, go to the help center of your web browser and look for the resources for troubleshooting.