Should your business opt out of AI Overviews? Google’s new Search Console switch explained

Until 2026, a site owner who wanted to keep their pages out of Google’s AI answers had only one blunt option: stop Google showing the content at all, which meant vanishing from search. The UK Competition and Markets Authority then required Google to offer publishers a more even-handed choice. Google responded with a specific opt-out inside Search Console, launched first in the UK with a wider rollout to follow.

Several trades businesses have asked us whether they should tick that box. Below we explain what the setting changes, what it leaves alone, and how we would make the call for a local firm.

What changes when you switch it on?

From what has been reported so far, the switch applies to Google’s AI search features as a group. You do not appear to be able to leave AI Mode while staying in AI Overviews, or the other way round. Google is still working on the feature, so read the current wording in Search Console before changing anything.

Which sites is the opt-out really for?

Mainly publishers. A news site, recipe blog or reference site that earns from adverts or subscriptions can lose readers when an AI summary answers the question before anyone clicks. Some of those sites may decide the trade is not worth it.

Even for them the choice is finely balanced. Step out, and a competitor’s article is quoted instead of yours. You also give up a channel that could have sent new readers your way.

Why local trades should usually stay in

Think about how people now look for a heating engineer in Dundee or a roofer who covers three neighbouring towns. More and more of them type a question into Google and read the AI answer first, or ask an assistant to suggest a few local firms. If your business is named or cited in that answer, you are in front of the customer at the exact point they are choosing who to ring. Opting out simply passes that moment to the firm down the road.

Here is the question we ask every client: does your website earn money because people read it, or because people hire you? For almost every trade and local service business it is the second. In that case, stay in and put your effort into becoming the business AI tools pick to mention.

Five questions to ask before you decide

1. What share of your income comes from people viewing pages, compared with enquiries, calls and jobs booked?
2. Have clicks genuinely fallen on pages that now show an AI Overview? Use Search Console to compare matching date ranges.
3. Is your business already being cited in AI answers, and are those citations bringing visitors or calls?
4. If you left, would a competitor simply take your place in the answer?
5. Would you gain more by improving how you show up, rather than leaving altogether?

If you still choose to opt out, run it as an experiment. Write down the date, watch clicks and enquiries for at least two months, and be prepared to switch it back.

Is blocking AI bots the same thing?

No, it is a separate choice. Rules in robots.txt for crawlers such as GPTBot or Google-Extended decide whether your content can be used to train AI models or feed other AI tools. They will not take you out of Google’s AI Overviews. If you want to keep your pages out of Overviews specifically, the Search Console setting is the tool for that job.

Frequently asked questions

Will my Google rankings drop if I opt out?

Google has said the setting is not used as a ranking signal, so your normal listings should not suffer. What you will lose is any visibility and traffic that AI Overviews and AI Mode were giving you.

Can I leave AI Mode but keep appearing in AI Overviews?

Reports so far suggest it treats all of Google’s AI search features as one. The latest options will be shown in Search Console itself.

Does opting out stop Google using my site to train AI?

No. Training, and some grounding uses, are managed separately with the Google-Extended token in robots.txt.

Can I still use nosnippet instead?

You can. The nosnippet and max-snippet rules still restrict what Google shows from a page, AI features included, but they also cut back your ordinary search snippets. The new setting is more precise.

Sources and further reading

• 9to5Google: websites can now opt out of AI Mode and AI Overviews
• SiliconANGLE: UK regulator orders an AI Overviews opt-out for publishers
• Google Search Central: how AI features work with your website

Want help with this? We can go through your Search Console data and show you whether AI answers are bringing you work or costing you clicks. See our AI search and GEO service, or Get in touch.