Engines · Gemini and AI Overviews
Visibility in Gemini and AI Overviews: How Google’s AI features work
Google has two separate surfaces: AI Overviews and AI Mode in search results, and the Gemini app. They are managed by different controls. This page explains which setting changes what, from Google’s own documentation.
AI Overviews and AI Mode are part of Google Search. To be a supporting link in them, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown with a snippet; there is no extra requirement. They are limited with snippet controls or a Search Console setting. Google-Extended manages use in Gemini apps and does not affect Search.
How do you appear in AI Overviews and AI Mode?
According to Google, a page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet to appear as a supporting link in AI Overviews or AI Mode. There are no additional requirements and no special optimizations neededSource 1: AI features and your website.
To answer a question these features may issue multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources; Google calls this “query fan-out” and says it lets them show a wider, more diverse set of linksSource 1: AI features and your website. Google’s generative AI guide also says there is no need for llms.txt, special markup or breaking content into small chunksSource 5: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search.
Which controls exist and what do they do?
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet | Limit how a page or part of a page is used as a snippet and in AI featuresSource 1: AI features and your website. |
noindex | Removes the page from Google Search entirelySource 1: AI features and your website. |
| Search Console > Settings > Search generative AI | Excludes the site’s content from AI Overviews, AI Mode and generative AI features in Discover. It is not used as a ranking or inclusion signal for other parts of SearchSource 2: Search generative AI control. |
Google-Extended in robots.txt | Manages use of content for training future Gemini models and for grounding in Gemini apps and Vertex AI. It does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google SearchSource 3: Google’s common crawlers (Googlebot, Google-Extended). |
The Search Console setting generally takes effect within a few days; some content may take longer because of cachingSource 2: Search generative AI control.
How is AI visibility on Google tracked?
Traffic from AI features is counted within the “Web” search type of the Performance report in Search Console, together with overall search dataSource 1: AI features and your website. Search Console’s generative AI performance report shows your pages’ impressions in these features separatelySource 4: Generative AI performance report (Search).
How do we measure it?
- For each question in the set we record whether an AI Overview appears, which links it lists and whether the brand is mentioned.
- AI Mode and the Gemini app are measured separately as their own surfaces.
- Search Console data is read alongside question-set measurement: one shows impressions, the other shows what the answer says.
Frequently asked questions
01If I block Google-Extended, do I leave AI Overviews?
No. Google-Extended does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google SearchSource 3: Google’s common crawlers (Googlebot, Google-Extended). To limit AI Overviews and AI Mode, use snippet controls or the Search Console settingSource 1: AI features and your websiteSource 2: Search generative AI control.
02Do AI Overviews need special markup?
No. Google says there are no additional requirements or special optimizationsSource 1: AI features and your website; llms.txt or special structured data are not needed eitherSource 5: Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search.
03Can I see AI Mode traffic separately?
Clicks are counted within overall Web data in the Performance reportSource 1: AI features and your website. To see impressions separately, use Search Console’s generative AI reportSource 4: Generative AI performance report (Search).
Sources
- [1]AI features and your websiteGoogle Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [2]Search generative AI controlSearch Console Help · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [3]Google’s common crawlers (Googlebot, Google-Extended)Google Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [4]Generative AI performance report (Search)Search Console Help · accessed: 26 September 2026
- [5]Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google SearchGoogle Search Central · accessed: 26 September 2026
How to cite this page
Kaynaq. (26 September 2026). Visibility in Gemini and AI Overviews: How Google’s AI features work. https://kaynaq.pages.dev/en/ai-engines/gemini-and-ai-overviews
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