Google Squared Goes Live In Google Labs

Google Squared

In a nutshell

Google Squared is a search tool that helps you quickly build a collection of facts from the Web for any topic you specify.

• Facts about your topic are organized as a table of items and attributes (we call them "Squares" for fun).
• Customize these Squares to see just the items and attributes you're interested in.
• See the websites that served as sources for the information in your Square.
• Save and share Squares with others.

For example, say you're curious about which roller coasters are the fastest, tallest, and longest in the world. Until now, you would have had to comb through dozens of webpages to compile the information you're looking for. With Google Squared, all you have to do is type [ roller coasters ] into the search box at http://www.google.com/squared and click Square it to see an automatically generated table of roller coasters and their attributes.

Google Squared is still in an experimental phase at this point, so you might encounter some hiccups while using it.

Customize rows and columns in your Square

It's easy to customize Squares to your information needs, in case Google Squared didn't display the exact items and attributes you have in mind. Here's how:

• If a particular item listed on the left doesn't belong in your Square, click the x next to the item name to delete it. For example, "Six Flags" wouldn't really belong in a Square about roller coasters.

  

• Common attributes for items in your Square are listed as columns. Like out-of-place items, delete the attributes that you don't care about.
• Want to expand your initial Square? Use the add rows and add columns search boxes to see suggestions for other items and attributes that you can add to your Square. You can also add specific attributes and items that you have in mind.

  

  Once you click Add, the Square will automatically create the new row or column with the label you entered and fetch information for it. If you find that Google Squared is misinterpreting the label you entered, try entering a more specific label to get the information you want.

  Instead of adding items one by one, use the search box and the Add to this Square button at the top of the page to append new search results, e.g. [ Disneyland roller coasters ], to the bottom of your existing Square.

Google Squared can learn from edits and corrections you make to your Square to gradually improve its quality for all users. So although your Square most likely won't be perfect from the get-go, it's worth it to take the time to clean and correct it.

Double-check the information in your Square

It's always a good idea to double-check information you find on the Web. Google Squared scours the Web to determine the best attribute values for each item in the Square. But different websites may give different values for a particular attribute (such as price points) or, in some cases, show conflicting information. It's also possible that Google Squared found various ways to interpret your attribute label.

Move your mouse over a cell to see the web source (in green) for the value that's displayed. Click the cell to see other possible values for the attribute and item in question. You can use the number of sources listed for a particular value to judge whether the value is trustworthy. To see the specific websites that cited that value, click the all x sources link.

If you think an alternative value listed is more accurate, simply select that value. The Square will automatically update to display your chosen value instead.

Last but not least, if you're not satisfied with the values shown, click Search for more values to see regular Google search results for the item and the attribute in question. Alternatively, you can click the text of the cell to type in a new value directly.

See an example

Save and share your Squares

Do you know other roller coaster fanatics? Save your edited Square and share it with your friends.

Squares can be saved if you're signed into your Google Account while using Google Squared. Simply click Save on the upper-right corner of the page. (Don't have a Google Account? Learn more) The next time you return to Google Squared, click the Saved Squares menu to retrieve your Square. To delete a saved Square, click the x that appears when you move your mouse over the Square's name in the menu.

To share your Square, copy the URL in the address bar for the Square you've created and send it to your friends. If the Square has been saved to your Google Account, your friend will see a copy of your customized Square. (In fact, anyone who accesses that specific URL will see your Square, so exercise caution when you're sharing the URL.) Otherwise, people will see the default Square created by Google Squared, without any customizations.

Google Squared is a new way of organizing information on the Web to make it more useful and structured. We'd love to hear your thoughts on how we can improve the tool. Send us your feedback and questions at labs+squared@google.com