Google Search AI Opt-Out May Impact Top Stories Placement

Google has introduced a Search Console setting allowing website owners to exclude their content from AI Overviews and other generative AI features, a move that may inadvertently strip publishers of their placement in Top Stories carousels [1]. Because these news modules now frequently render directly inside AI-generated results, opting out of AI features could effectively remove a site from one of the most visible spots in search results [2].

The visibility tradeoff

Until this year, publishers lacked a granular way to remove content from Google’s generative AI features without simultaneously blocking their site from traditional search results [1]. The new control, which Google began respecting on June 17, allows for a surgical opt-out that does not affect standard organic rankings or participation in Google Ads [1]. However, the integration of traditional search features into AI surfaces has complicated this choice. Tracking data from NewzDash indicates that 15.5% of U.S. trending news queries and 17.46% of U.K. queries now display Top Stories carousels within AI Overviews [1].

Because Google treats the AI Overview as a single feature, publishers who toggle the opt-out setting may lose their spot in these carousels entirely [2]. While Google has not officially confirmed this outcome, the company’s documentation states that excluded sites will not appear in the covered AI features [1]. This creates a significant dilemma for publishers: they must weigh the potential loss of traffic from AI-integrated placements against the desire to prevent their content from being used in generative responses [1].

Navigating the controls

The new Search Console setting is distinct from Google-Extended, a separate control that governs whether a site’s content is used to train future Gemini models or for grounding in Gemini Apps [1]. Blocking Google-Extended does not remove a site from AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor does it affect search visibility [2]. Conversely, the new generative AI control does not influence AI training, meaning publishers must manage these two levers independently to achieve their desired level of participation in Google’s ecosystem [1].

Despite the rollout of a generative AI performance report in Search Console, publishers currently lack a clear baseline to measure the impact of these features [1]. The report provides impression data but does not currently track clicks or queries, leaving businesses without the necessary metrics to determine if the traffic gained from AI features outweighs the potential loss of traditional search visibility [1].

What to watch

• Metric expansion: Monitor whether Google provides the click-through and conversion data requested by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority to help publishers quantify the value of AI-driven traffic [1].
• Feature separation: Watch for potential updates to Google’s help documentation that clarify whether Top Stories carousels will remain distinct from AI-governed opt-outs [2].
• Publisher testing: Observe industry-wide data releases from tracking firms like NewzDash, which plans to test whether opting out definitively triggers a removal from Top Stories [2].

The core uncertainty remains whether the visibility provided by AI-integrated carousels is a net positive for publishers or a cannibalization of their organic traffic. Until Google provides more granular performance data, publishers are forced to make high-stakes decisions about their search presence based on incomplete information [1].