Google will enable websites to exclude themselves from its AI-generated search results without affecting their placement in regular search results. The company announced this new feature in a blog post Wednesday, revealing plans to test a toggle in its Search Console that allows website owners to opt out of appearances in AI features, including AI Overviews and AI Mode. Initial testing will involve a small group of domain owners in the UK, followed by a global rollout.
“Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from our generative AI features,” Google stated. “This control will not be used as a ranking signal for search results outside of these generative AI Search features.”
Alongside the opt-out option, Google will also provide new metrics in Search Console to help webmasters track which of their pages appear in AI responses and the geographic distribution of that visibility. “We’re continuing to work with website owners to understand what insights will be most helpful,” Google said, indicating plans to introduce additional metrics based on user feedback.
Google is engaging with regulators, including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, to develop tools for website owners. The announcement follows Google’s I/O 2026 developer keynote, where new features such as a dynamic Search Box were introduced, which can adapt to various input types.
There has been increasing frustration among publishers regarding Google’s AI search features. Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch recently mentioned that his company is shifting its strategy to “assume there’s no search” to enhance pageviews and revenue. Lynch noted that referral traffic from Google is expected to represent only a single-digit percentage of total traffic in the future.
