Vertex AI Grounding: Clarification on displaying Search Suggestions (webSearchQueries vs searchEntryPoint)

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Hi all,

I’m implementing grounding with Google Search and I’m unclear about the display requirements for Search Suggestions across these docs:

From my reading:

  • webSearchQueries contains the suggestion strings.

  • searchEntryPoint.renderedContent provides compliant HTML/CSS for rendering.

  • Both docs (and Vertex AI Studio) state that we must display the Search Suggestions.

  • The “Use Google Search suggestions” section in the Vertex AI docs makes it sound like I can use webSearchQueries for rendering.

  • But the “Code to implement a Search suggestion” section says I should use searchEntryPoint.renderedContent.

Questions:

  1. Is using searchEntryPoint.renderedContent mandatory, or may we render webSearchQueries ourselves, provided we strictly follow the display/branding requirements in the Vertex AI docs?

  2. If we must use renderedContent as-is, are the following adjustments permitted for UX consistency?

    • Theming: The provided renderedContent currently follows the OS light/dark mode. Our app has its own theme system (including custom palettes and scheduled themes). May we adapt the suggestions UI to follow the app’s theme (while preserving all required layout/branding elements)?

    • Link behavior: The links in renderedContent open in the current tab. Our UX guidelines recommend opening external destinations in a new tab to avoid disrupting the user’s workflow. May we set links to open in a new tab (e.g., target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer") instead?

Why I’m asking:
We want to ship a fully compliant implementation that also fits our app’s UX standards. The OS-forced theming and same-tab navigation significantly impact our users’ experience. I’d appreciate confirmation on whether these two modifications are allowed, or if renderedContent must be rendered unmodified — or alternatively, whether we can use webSearchQueries to render the suggestions ourselves while adhering to the display requirements.

Your guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!