What are Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews are short answers written by Google's AI that appear above the usual results for many searches, with links to the pages they draw on. Being one of those linked pages puts you above every ordinary result; not being one can mean fewer clicks even when you rank well, because the answer is already on the results page.
What decides whether Google uses my page in an AI Overview?
Google decides in two stages. First, eligibility: according to Google's guidance on AI features, a page has to be indexed and allowed to be shown with a snippet, and nothing more is required: no special markup, no extra file. Second, choice: from the eligible pages, Google picks the ones that answer the question best. For example, a page that opens with "A standard pallet is 1,200 by 1,000 mm" is easier to use for "how big is a pallet" than one that opens with the history of shipping.
What does the checker look at for AI Overviews?
Of the 40 checks in our AI visibility audit, these matter most for Google's AI Overviews:
| Check | Why it matters for AI Overviews |
|---|---|
| Googlebot is allowed in | A page Googlebot cannot fetch is not indexed, so it cannot be used. |
| No firewall block | Bot protection that challenges crawlers can turn Googlebot away while browsers get through. |
| No indexing or snippet blocks | noindex removes a page; nosnippet and max-snippet:0 make it ineligible for AI Overviews. |
| Canonical tags | Tell Google which address to index and link to when the same content appears at several. |
| Answer-first opening | The first two sentences under the headline should answer it on their own. |
| Question headings and FAQs | Searches are often questions; a heading that matches one, with the answer beneath, is easy to use. |
| Structured data | Article, FAQ, Product and Organization data state facts plainly for Google to read. |
| Specific facts with sources | Figures, definitions and examples, with the source beside each claim. |
| Content is kept fresh | Dated pages and accurate sitemap dates show the information is current. |
Does blocking Google-Extended keep me out of AI Overviews?
No. Google-Extended is a robots.txt name that controls whether Google may use your content to train and ground its Gemini models;
Google's crawler documentation says it does not affect inclusion in Google Search.
A snippet is the short extract of a page that Google shows under its title; for instance, the two lines of text below a result.
AI Overviews are part of Search, so they follow Googlebot and the snippet controls instead:
nosnippet, max-snippet and data-nosnippet. If you want to stay in AI Overviews, make sure none of those are set on pages you want used.
How do I see whether my site appears in AI Overviews?
You see whether your site appears by searching for the questions your customers ask, because AI Overviews differ by question, place and time:
- List 10 to 20 questions your customers type into Google.
- Search each one in a private browser window, so your own history does not change the results.
- Where an AI Overview appears, open its links and note whether your site is one of them, and which sites are.
- Repeat monthly and keep a record; the answers change as Google updates them.
Google Search Console counts clicks and impressions from AI Overviews within its ordinary web search figures, without listing them separately, so a page that starts being used shows up there as more impressions for the questions above.
Questions and answers
Does the checker search Google to see if I appear in AI Overviews?
No. It checks your website for what decides whether Google can use it in an AI Overview: whether Googlebot is let in, whether your pages may be shown as snippets, and whether they give clear, specific, sourced answers. Whether you appear for a particular question on a particular day also depends on the question and on other sites, so check that by searching for it yourself.
Is the AI Overview checker free?
Yes. Your score and six of the 40 checks are free, with no signup. You can check three sites a day. The full report, with every result and the fix for each problem, costs US$9 once.
Do I need special markup to appear in AI Overviews?
No. Google says there is no special markup or file needed to appear in AI Overviews. A page has to be indexed and allowed to show a snippet; after that, clear answers, specific facts and structured data help Google understand and use it.
Can I keep my site out of AI Overviews?
Yes, with the same controls that govern snippets: a nosnippet or max-snippet rule, or data-nosnippet on part of a page. Blocking Google-Extended in robots.txt does not do it; that controls use of your content for Gemini, not Search. Keeping a page out of AI Overviews this way also limits its snippet in ordinary results.
Does the checker cover other AI assistants too?
Yes. The same 40 checks cover what ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Copilot depend on, including 17 crawler names and whether your pages can be read without JavaScript, which matters more for those assistants than for Google.
For ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity as well as Google, see our AI visibility checker.