SEARCH CONSOLE NOW SHOWS YOUR AI OVERVIEWS IMPRESSIONS.
Until this year, Search Console could not tell you whether your pages appeared inside Google's AI answers. Google has now added a dedicated report. Here is what it shows, what it does not, and how a small business should use it.
AT A GLANCE
By Conqueror Capital · Published
The change: Google announced June 3, 2026; rolled out to all websites August 31, 2026.1
WHAT CHANGED
On June 3, 2026, Google announced new Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console, including dedicated reports for Search and Discover.1 Google says the reports give a dedicated view of your impressions within generative AI features on Search, such as AI Overviews and AI Mode, as well as generative AI features in Discover.1
At launch the reports went to a subset of websites. A note added to the announcement says that as of August 31, 2026, Google has rolled them out to all websites worldwide.1
One point is easy to miss: this data is not new data that was hidden before. Google says it is already included in the overall Performance report, where it will continue to be tracked. What is new is a separate view for AI features alone.1
WHAT THE REPORT SHOWS
- Impressions. How often URLs from your site appeared in generative AI features.1 Google's help page defines an impression here as a link to your site being shown to a user in a generative AI feature.2
- Pages. Which URLs appeared. Like the regular Performance report, most data is assigned to the page's canonical URL.2
- Countries and devices. Where searches came from, and whether people used desktop, tablet or mobile.2
- Dates. Google says you can view the data at hourly, daily, weekly and monthly granularity.1
The help page lists AI Overviews and AI Mode as the features included, and says the list may change over time. Search Labs experiments are not included.2
WHAT IT DOES NOT SHOW
- Impressions only. Google lists impressions, pages, countries, devices and dates. The announcement and help page do not list a clicks metric for this report, and Google says it may add metrics over time.1
- Grouped counting. On the chart, two results from the same site in one AI feature count as a single impression. Table totals can differ from chart totals for that reason.2
- The usual limits. Google says the normal Performance report limits, such as the 1,000-row table limit, apply here too.2
If you don't see the report, Google gives two reasons: not all properties have access yet, or your site hasn't received enough impressions in AI features.2
WHO IT AFFECTS
Anyone with a verified Search Console property. For a local business, the practical question is simple: are the pages that describe your services, prices and service areas being shown when Google answers questions with AI? Before this report, you could only guess.
Low or zero numbers are not a verdict on your business. A small site may simply not have enough AI impressions to report yet, which Google names as one reason the report may be empty.2
QUICK QUESTIONS
Does this replace the Performance report?
No. Google says AI feature data stays in the overall Performance report; the new report is a separate view of the same visibility.1
Does it cover Discover too?
Yes, as its own report. Google launched dedicated reports for Search and for Discover, and the Search help page points to a separate Discover report.2
Can I download the data?
Yes. Google says the report has an export button for chart and table data, and values shown as ~ or - export as zeros.2
WHAT TO DO
- Check you have Search Console. If not, start with our Search Console guide. The report is inside Search Console, not Google Analytics.
- Open the report and switch to Pages. Note which pages appear. If your main service pages are missing, that is a content question worth looking at.
- Compare with the regular Performance report. Because AI impressions are also counted there, the new view helps you see what share of your visibility comes from AI features.
- Write down when you change a page. Keep the date so you can compare before and after.
- Don't chase a trick. Google's guidance on AI features is covered in our AI search guide: clear, helpful pages that Google can crawl.
SOURCES
- Google Search Central Blog, Introducing Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console, June 3, 2026.
- Search Console Help, Generative AI performance report (Search).
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