Quick answer: Google now lets every website opt out of AI Overviews, AI Mode and the generative AI features in Google Discover through a setting in Search Console called the Search generative AI control. Google confirmed it is available to all websites worldwide as of August 31, 2026, and on October 21, 2026 it added the control to its official list of ways to manage what you share with Google Search. For most local businesses the right answer is to leave it on “Include,” because opting out removes your links from AI answers without improving your regular rankings.
Below we explain what the control does, what it does not do, and how a dentist, law firm, contractor or other local business should decide.
What is the Search generative AI control?
The Search generative AI control is a site-wide setting in Google Search Console. According to Google’s Search Console Help page, it manages whether your site appears in three Google Search generative AI features: AI Overviews, AI Mode, and generative AI features in Google Discover. You find it under Settings > Search generative AI.
There are three options:
- Include – your links and content can appear in these features, help ground AI responses, and earn impressions and traffic. Google says this is the default for all properties.
- Exclude – your links and content are hidden from these features, and your site gets no traffic or impressions from them.
- Inherit from parent – the property follows the setting of its parent property (for example, a subdomain following the main domain). This is the default for properties that have a parent.
Why is everyone talking about it this week?
Two things happened in the last week. First, on October 21, 2026, Google updated its Search Central page “Control what you share with Google Search.” The page now lists seven methods, and the Search generative AI control appears there as a site-wide option alongside noindex, robots.txt and password protection. Search Engine Roundtable reported the change the same day.
Second, on October 26, 2026, Search Engine Roundtable reported that AI Overviews now appear on more than 80% of Google searches, citing recent data from Semrush, SE Ranking and seoClarity. SE Ranking put the figure at 82.5% for US brand searches, while seoClarity reported over 62% of queries, ranging from 55% to 84% depending on the industry. Those are third-party estimates, not Google figures, but the direction is clear: AI answers are now the first thing many searchers see.
The control itself traces back to the UK. PPC Land reports that on June 3, 2026, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a binding Publisher Conduct Requirement on Google, with its substantive obligations taking legal force on December 3, 2026. Page-level controls, which would let you exclude individual pages rather than a whole site, are scheduled for March 3, 2027.
What happens if you exclude your site?
Google’s help page spells out the effects. If you choose Exclude:
- Your links and content will not appear in AI Overviews, AI Mode or generative AI features in Discover.
- Your crawled content cannot be used as input for generating AI responses or previews in those features.
- Other sites’ content still appears there, and Google notes it may look similar to yours.
- Most content is excluded within 1 to 2 days after the change goes live, although caching can make some take longer.
That third point matters most for a local business. Opting out does not make the AI Overview disappear. It just means the answer is built from your competitors’ pages instead of yours.
What does the control NOT do?
This is where many business owners get confused. Google is clear that the control has limits:
| Question | What Google says |
|---|---|
| Does excluding hurt or help my normal rankings? | Neither. Google says it is not a ranking or inclusion signal for other parts of Search. |
| Does it stop Google training AI models on my content? | No. It does not limit training. Google points to Google-Extended for that. |
| Does it affect Google Ads or Merchant Center? | No. It does not override your choices to take part in those services. |
| Does it remove my site from Google entirely? | No. To block content from Google Search completely, Google says to use noindex. |
| Can I exclude just one page? | Not yet. The setting works per Search Console property. Page-level controls are scheduled for March 3, 2027. |
How does it compare with other ways to control Google?
Google’s updated “Control what you share” page lists these options. Here is how they line up for a typical business website:
| Method | Applies to | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
| Remove the content | All content types | Pages you never want online at all |
| Password-protect files | All content types | Private client portals or internal documents |
| noindex rule | All content types | Thank-you pages, test pages, thin tag pages |
| robots.txt disallow | Images and video | Keeping specific media files out of Google |
| Robots meta tag, data-nosnippet, X-Robots-Tag | Varies by setup | Controlling how text is shown in results |
| Search generative AI control | Site-wide | Deciding whether your site appears in AI Overviews, AI Mode and Discover AI features |
| Opt out of specific Google properties | Web pages | Keeping content out of Shopping, Hotels or vacation rentals |
Should a local business opt out of AI Overviews?
For most local service businesses, our view is no. The case for excluding is strongest for publishers whose business model depends on people reading the full article, and who feel AI summaries replace the click. A local business usually wins in a different way: a searcher asks a question, sees a trusted name, and then calls, books or visits.
If you exclude, you give up the chance to be the business that AI Overviews and AI Mode mention when someone asks “who does emergency dental work near me” or “do I need a lawyer for a car accident claim.” Your normal blue-link rankings stay the same either way, so excluding mainly takes you out of the most visible spot on the page while competitors stay in it.
There are exceptions. If you sell premium research, paid guides or other content that is itself the product, excluding may make sense. The same goes if your Search Console data shows AI features bring you impressions but almost no useful visits. Make that call with data, not with frustration about AI.
How to check your data before you decide
Use Search Console’s generative AI performance report to see how often your site shows up in AI features before changing anything. We walked through it in our guide to the Search Console AI report. Then work through this checklist:
- Log in to Search Console and confirm which properties you own (domain property, subdomains, URL-prefix properties).
- Open Settings > Search generative AI and note the current setting for each property. Most will show Include or Inherit from parent.
- Check the generative AI performance report for impressions and clicks from AI features over the last few months.
- Compare that with calls, form fills and bookings in your analytics or CRM. Leads are the number that matters, not raw traffic.
- If you have several people with Search Console access, agree on who is allowed to change this setting.
- If you still choose to exclude, write down the date. Most content drops out within 1 to 2 days, so you can measure the effect cleanly.
- Review the decision again after March 3, 2027, when page-level controls are scheduled to arrive.
How to get cited in AI Overviews instead
If you stay included, the next step is making your pages the ones AI answers pull from. The basics we see work for local businesses are:
- Answer real customer questions clearly near the top of the page, the way this article opens with a quick answer.
- Keep your local SEO foundations strong: a complete Google Business Profile, consistent name, address and phone details, and steady reviews.
- Publish specific service and location pages rather than one generic page.
- Make it obvious who you are, where you work and why you are qualified.
Our longer guide to AIO optimization and getting cited by AI search covers this in depth, and our AI search optimization service handles it for you.
What this means for local businesses
The new control gives you a real choice, but for a Denver dentist, a London plumber or a law firm in either city, staying visible in AI answers is usually worth more than staying out of them. Opting out does not protect your rankings, does not stop AI training and does not remove the AI Overview from the page. It only removes you from it.
The smarter move is to check your settings, look at your data, and put the effort into earning citations. That ties in with the rest of your SEO strategy, and with keeping your site clean after updates like Google’s September 2026 spam update.
Not sure how your site is showing up in Google and AI search right now? Run our free SEO checker for a quick snapshot, or book a Denver SEO audit and we will review your Search Console settings, AI visibility and local rankings with you. You can also contact SEO District or call +1 (888) 500-1555 in the US or +44 77 7629 8812 in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I opt out of Google AI Overviews?
Yes. Google’s Search generative AI control in Search Console lets you exclude your site from AI Overviews, AI Mode and generative AI features in Google Discover. Google says it has been available to all websites worldwide since August 31, 2026.
Where is the Search generative AI control in Search Console?
It is under Settings > Search generative AI. You can choose Include, Exclude or Inherit from parent for each property.
Will opting out of AI Overviews hurt my Google rankings?
Google says the control is not a ranking or inclusion signal for other parts of Search. Your regular results should not change, but you lose impressions and traffic from AI features.
Does the control stop Google from training AI on my content?
No. Google says the control does not limit training and points site owners to Google-Extended for that.
Can I exclude only certain pages from AI Overviews?
Not yet. The control works per Search Console property. Page-level controls are scheduled for March 3, 2027.
Sources
- Google Search Console Help: Search generative AI control
- Google Search Central: Control what you share with Google Search
- Google Search Central: Latest documentation updates
- Search Engine Roundtable: Google Updates Control What You Share With Google Search (October 21, 2026)
- Search Engine Roundtable: Over 80% Of Google Searches Have AI Overviews (October 26, 2026)
- PPC Land: Google gives site owners a toggle to exit AI Overviews and AI Mode
- PPC Land: Google lists 7 ways to keep content out of Search
Written by the SEO District team in Denver and London. Last reviewed October 27, 2026.
