Google Search Console Generative AI Performance Reports Expand to Most Sites
Google has expanded access to its Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console to the majority of website properties, according to observations from SEO professionals monitoring the rollout this week. The reports, first introduced in a limited beta in June 2026, now appear for most sites that receive sufficient impressions in AI-powered search features.
The expansion marks the first time website owners have broad access to data about how their content performs inside Google's generative AI experiences, including AI Overviews and AI Mode.
The details
The generative AI performance reports were initially announced on June 3, 2026, by Hillel Maoz, Search Ecosystem Engineering Manager, and Moshe Samet, Product Manager Lead for Search Console. At launch, Google said the reports were being rolled out to "a subset of websites" for testing before wider availability.
As of the week of August 11, multiple SEO practitioners reported seeing the reports appear across their Search Console properties. One observer with access to approximately 25 different site profiles confirmed the generative AI tab was present in all of them.
Google's John Mueller addressed questions about the rollout on Reddit, clarifying that the reports are "not yet every domain" but confirmed the expansion is ongoing. He noted that, similar to the Discover and news reports in Search Console, the generative AI report only displays when a site has accumulated enough impressions in AI features to show meaningful data.
The reports appear as an expandable tab beneath the main Performance report in Search Console. They provide the following metrics:
- Impressions: How often URLs from a site appeared in generative AI features across Search and Discover.
- Pages: Which specific URLs received impressions within AI features.
- Countries: A geographic breakdown of where AI feature impressions originated.
- Devices: The device types associated with AI feature visibility (available for Search results).
- Dates: Performance trends viewable at hourly, daily, weekly, and monthly intervals.
A notable limitation: the reports do not include click-through data or the specific search queries that triggered AI feature appearances. This means site owners can see that their pages were shown in AI Overviews or AI Mode, but cannot determine whether users clicked through to their sites from those AI-generated results.
Context
Google introduced AI Overviews in May 2024 as part of its Search Generative Experience, initially rolling them out in the United States before expanding to additional countries. The feature generates AI-powered summaries at the top of search results, drawing from multiple web sources. In late 2024, Google launched AI Mode, a conversational search experience that allows users to ask follow-up questions and receive multi-step answers.
Both features have grown in prominence throughout 2025 and 2026. Google reported in early 2026 that AI Overviews now appear in a significant percentage of search queries, though the company has not disclosed exact figures. The expansion of these AI features has created demand from website owners for visibility into how their content performs within them.
Third-party SEO tools have attempted to fill this gap by monitoring AI Overview appearances through automated searches and tracking which domains are cited. However, these tools provide only estimates based on sampled queries and cannot capture the full picture of a site's AI feature visibility across all queries and geographies.
Why this matters for SEO and AI visibility
For SEO teams, these reports represent the first systematic way to measure visibility in Google's AI-powered search experiences. Before this rollout, the only way to estimate AI Overview appearances was through manual spot-checking or third-party rank tracking tools that sample results.
The data allows teams to identify which pages are being cited by Google's generative AI systems, track whether AI feature impressions are growing or declining over time, and compare AI visibility against traditional organic search performance. Sites that see strong AI feature impressions but low overall traffic may need to investigate whether their content is being summarized in ways that reduce click-through.
The absence of query and click data, however, leaves a significant gap. SEO professionals cannot yet determine which topics or keywords are driving AI feature appearances, or whether those appearances convert into site visits. Google has indicated it is "continuing to work with website owners to understand what insights and data would be most helpful," suggesting additional metrics may arrive in future updates.
For publishers and content creators, the reports offer a way to understand whether their investment in high-quality, authoritative content is paying off in AI-powered search. Early adopters who monitor these metrics closely may gain insights into how Google's AI systems evaluate and cite different types of content.
What to watch next
Google's June announcement mentioned the company is exploring "adding additional metrics over time" based on feedback from website owners. The most requested additions from the SEO community have been query-level data and click-through metrics. If Google follows the pattern of its traditional Performance report, click data could arrive in a subsequent update.
The rollout also raises questions about how AI feature impressions will factor into broader search performance analysis. As AI Overviews and AI Mode capture a growing share of search interactions, understanding the relationship between traditional organic impressions and AI feature impressions will become central to search strategy.
Site owners who do not yet see the report should monitor their Search Console properties over the coming weeks. The report will appear automatically once a site crosses Google's threshold for sufficient AI feature impressions.
Sources
- Introducing Search Generative AI performance reports in Search Console — Google Search Central Blog, June 3, 2026
- Google Search Console Help: Generative AI performance reports — Google Support documentation
