AI Overviews are short AI summaries that Google can show above the regular search results, with links to read further. According to Google Search Central, they only appear when Google’s systems judge them more useful than the classic results. Google’s help page warns users that AI Overviews can make mistakes.
To put the answer together, Google can run several related searches at once, a technique called query fan-out.
What does your page need?
Google sets no extra technical requirements. A page must be indexed and eligible to appear in Google Search with a text snippet. Separate AI files or special markup are not needed. Even if you meet every requirement, Google does not guarantee that your page will be shown.
How do you see it in your data?
Google counts traffic from AI features in the Search Console Performance report, under the Web search type. Google’s guide to generative AI features also points to a separate Generative AI performance report in Search Console.
Common mistake
Thinking that Google-Extended in robots.txt takes your site out of AI Overviews. Google-Extended covers training and grounding in other Google systems, such as the Gemini apps, and according to Google it does not affect Google Search. To limit what Google shows in search results, use nosnippet, data-nosnippet, max-snippet or noindex.
More in AI Overviews and AI Mode: what do they mean for your website? and under AI Mode.