Google allows websites to opt out of AI search features

Google announced it is testing a new control that will allow website owners to manage how their content appears in generative AI search features. This feature, accessible through a new toggle in Google Search Console, enables site owners to decide whether their content is used in AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI Overviews in Google Discover. Websites that opt out will not have their content inform AI responses and will not receive traffic or impressions from these specific AI features. Importantly, Google stated that this opt-out will not affect a site's ranking in traditional Google search results. The company is also introducing new Search Console insights to provide publishers with data on their performance in AI search features, including impression data and which pages are surfacing in AI responses by country. These new controls and analytics are initially rolling out to a select group of UK website owners before a wider global release. This announcement comes in response to ongoing pressure from publishers and regulators concerning the impact of AI features on organic search traffic and concerns about accuracy and hallucinations. Google maintains that users of its AI features are searching more often and are more satisfied, and notes it has increased links in AI responses and added website previews to encourage clickthroughs. The move follows Google's I/O 2026 developer conference, where the company detailed an aggressive expansion of its AI search capabilities, including new search agents and a redesigned AI Search Box. The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been engaging with Google on publisher feedback regarding these AI features.