So the real question has shifted. It is no longer whether you can opt out of AI Search. It is whether you should, and a lot of businesses are reaching for an answer before they have the data to back it up.
What the toggle actually does
The setting lives inside Google Search Console. Switch it on and your site stops appearing in AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI Overviews within Discover. You keep your place in standard search results and the Discover feed. The Gemini app sits outside this control, so it is not covered.
There is a catch worth naming early. Opting out means no traffic and no impressions from those AI features at all. If your content is currently being cited and earning visibility inside AI Overviews, you would be switching that off completely. For some brands that is a relief. For others it is a quiet loss of reach you only notice months later.
Why this is happening now
This is regulation, not generosity. The Competition and Markets Authority designated Google with strategic market status last October, then pushed for publisher controls. A conduct requirement followed, and Google began testing the Search Console toggle with a subset of UK sites in the same week. UK businesses are first in the queue, which is unusual, and worth using to your advantage rather than waiting for the global rollout.
Google also added generative AI reports to Search Console. For now they show impressions, not clicks. The regulator wants click-throughs and click-through rate as well, separated from organic search, and that detail is not in the reports yet. So you are being asked to decide with half the numbers. Before you go near the toggle, it pays to turn Search Console into a weekly action plan so you can read what little signal you do have.
The case for staying in
AI Overviews now reach more than 2.5 billion users a month, and AI Mode has passed one billion. That is a great deal of attention to walk away from. Being cited can earn clicks rather than cost them, particularly for question-led queries where your answer is the one Google quotes. If you have already invested in generative engine optimisation services, opting out throws that groundwork away. The same goes for the work behind generative engine optimisation for UK brands, where the whole point is to be the cited source.
| Factor | Stay in AI Search | Opt out |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | Up to 2.5 billion AI Overview users | Standard search and Discover only |
| Traffic from AI features | Possible, if you are cited | None |
| Control over how content appears | Limited | Full |
| Reporting in Search Console | Impressions only for now | Not applicable |
| Best suited to | Brands chasing awareness | Brands protecting detailed content |
The case for opting out
Some businesses lose more than they gain. One widely cited Ahrefs analysis found click-through rates for top-ranking pages dropped by around a third once an AI Overview appeared above them. If you sell a considered service and your detailed guides are being summarised away, that stings. A solicitor or a specialist manufacturer might well prefer the click to the citation. Here an entity-first approach and solid technical SEO often matter more than chasing an AI placement.
Picture a Leeds accountancy firm. Its pricing explainer ranks first, but an AI Overview answers the question above it, and enquiries dip by a few each week. For that firm, opting out and measuring the change is a sensible experiment. For a national retailer chasing brand awareness, it rarely is. The answer depends on your model, not on the headline.
How to decide without guessing
Treat the toggle as a test, not a one-way door. Start by checking which pages are being shown in AI features, then weigh that against the enquiries those pages drive. A focused SEO audit will show you where you are exposed and where you are gaining. Tie it back to revenue too, because impressions alone will not tell you whether to stay. If you are unsure how, our guide to measuring SEO ROI lays out a simple method.
From there, fold the decision into your organic marketing plan rather than treating it as a one-off. If AI Search is eating into a few key terms, you can lean harder on paid advertising to protect those clicks while you adjust. None of this needs to be rushed, and it certainly fits inside a sensible SEO strategy for 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can you stop your website appearing in Google AI Overviews?
Yes. You can now use the opt-out toggle in Google Search Console to remove your site from AI Overviews and AI Mode, while staying in standard search results.
Will opting out of AI Search hurt your Google ranking?
No. Google has confirmed the setting is not used as a ranking signal, so your normal search position should not change.
What is the difference between AI Overviews and AI Mode?
AI Overviews are the AI summaries shown above results, while AI Mode is a separate conversational experience where you can ask follow-up questions. The toggle covers both.
Is the opt-out toggle available to every UK business yet?
Not quite. Google is testing it with a subset of UK sites first, with a wider global rollout expected to follow.
Ready to make the call with confidence?
Do not flip a switch on guesswork. Talk to Totally Digital and we will review which pages are exposed to AI Search, what they are worth to you, and whether opting out is the right move for your business. Book a free consultation and decide with the numbers in front of you.