Google\u2019s new \u201cGenerative AI\u201d section in Search Console is now widely available.<\/p>\n
Per the Google Search Central blog<\/a>, the section (at Performance > Search Results > Generative AI)<\/em> reports on a page\u2019s visibility in AI Overviews and AI Mode, as well as genAI features in Discover<\/a>.<\/p>\n The section includes:<\/p>\n Unfortunately, the section provides no filters to identify which search feature produced which impressions.<\/p>\n The section\u2019s sole metric is impressions. Yet there\u2019s no definition of that term. Google\u2019s John Mueller says<\/a>\u00a0an impression (i) is when a URL appears anywhere in an AI answer, and (ii) does not require an action.<\/p>\n Thus, an impression does not, evidently, mean a human viewed it.<\/p>\n For example, AI Overviews requires clicking both the \u201cShow More\u201d and \u201cShow all\u201d buttons to see all citations. Yet those URLs will count as impressions whether or not a searcher sees them.<\/p>\n The \u201cShow more\u201d opens the full answer:<\/p>\n In AI Overviews, URLs that appear after clicking \u201cShow more\u201d (for the complete answer) count as impressions. Click image to enlarge.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The \u201cShow all\u201d opens the full set of cited sources:<\/p>\n Clicking the \u201cShow all\u201d link reveals all cited sources and includes them as impressions in Search Console. Click image to enlarge.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some AI answers in Google search require an additional click. For example, \u201cPeople also ask<\/a>\u201d boxes do not produce answers without clicking on a question. In that case, presumably Search Console counts an impression only after the click for cited URLs, whether visible or not.<\/p>\n If the searcher asks a follow-up question in AI Mode, the cited URLs will likely count as impressions, even if included in the previous answer.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople also ask\u201d boxes do not produce answers (or impressions) without clicking on a question. Click image to enlarge.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Search Console\u2019s new Generative AI report shows no click-through data and provides no feature-specific filters. To make it actionable:<\/p>\n The Excel spreadsheet reveals:<\/p>\n Concurrent with the \u201cGenerative AI\u201d rollout, Search Console now allows sites to block content and URLs in AI answers. The new feature<\/a> (Settings > AI controls > Search generative AI<\/em>) defaults to allowing those items.<\/p>\n A separate toggle, when clicked, blocks them, although I know of no reason<\/a> for ecommerce businesses to do that.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
What\u2019s an impression?<\/h3>\n
![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.practicalecommerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AI-answers-show-all-570x392.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Google](\"https:\/\/www.practicalecommerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AI-answers_People-also-ask-e1782737529535-570x454.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHow to use<\/h3>\n
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Blocking AI<\/h3>\n