Google will allow websites to opt out of appearing in its AI-generated search results. The company announced in a blog post early Wednesday that it will begin testing a toggle in its Search Console that lets domain owners choose whether their webpages are included in AI features, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. The initial testing will involve a small group of domain owners in the UK prior to a global rollout.
“Sites that opt out will not receive traffic or impressions from our generative AI features,” Google said. The tech giant confirmed that opting out will not affect a site’s ranking in traditional search results.
In addition to the exclusion toggle, Google is launching new insights in Search Console aimed at providing webmasters with data on which of their pages appear in AI-generated responses and in which countries. “We’re continuing to work with website owners to understand what insights will be most helpful to inform their strategies, and we’ll introduce additional metrics over time,” the company stated.
Google emphasized its commitment to engaging with feedback from publishers and creators. It is also collaborating with regulatory bodies, including the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, to offer website owners the necessary tools as user preferences evolve.
This announcement follows the recent I/O 2026 developer keynote, where Google showcased a new dynamic Search Box that accommodates complex queries and can process various input types, including videos and images. The development has fueled discussions regarding the evolving nature of Google Search.
Growing dissatisfaction among publishers regarding Google’s AI search features has emerged. Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch noted in a recent interview that he directed teams to “assume there’s no search” to enhance pageviews and revenue. Lynch clarified that while Condé Nast does not expect search traffic to diminish to zero, he predicts that referrals from Google will constitute a single-digit percentage of total traffic moving forward.
