Google AI Overviews are now part of how many UK customers find a business, but Google still cannot tell you how many of them click through to your site. On 2 November 2026, Search Engine Journal reported that Google had nothing to announce on AI click reporting, with a UK regulator deadline weeks away. Here is what is happening, what it means for a small business, and what is worth doing before then.
What has happened this week
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a conduct requirement on Google on 3 June 2026. Among other things, it says Google must give publishers clear and detailed metrics on user engagement with their content in its AI search features.
According to Search Engine Journal on 2 November, that data is due by 3 December. Google’s Gary Illyes said Google is very interested in giving more data but has nothing to announce yet. The 3 December date fits the CMA’s decision paper, which says the requirement takes effect six months after the notice was published.
What you can and cannot see today
Search Console now has a Generative AI report, but it only goes so far. Search Engine Journal sets out the gap clearly, and the CMA’s interpretative notes describe what the regulator expects instead.
| Measure | In Search Console now | What the CMA notes expect |
|---|---|---|
| Impressions in AI features | Yes, but AI Overviews and AI Mode are combined | Yes |
| Clicks from AI features | No, mixed into the main Performance report | Yes |
| Click-through rate | No | Yes |
| Kept separate from organic results | No | Yes, “fully disaggregated” |
Sources: Search Engine Journal, 2 November 2026; CMA interpretative notes to the publisher conduct requirement, 2026. The CMA column describes what the regulator expects. Google has not confirmed how it will deliver it.
Does this apply to a small business?
Probably, though we have not seen the final wording of the requirement. The CMA’s decision paper records “publisher” as meaning all parties that make content available on the web, which is the consultation definition, so an ordinary business website looks likely to be covered. Most of the public debate has been about news publishers, so do not assume anything until Google’s rollout is clear.
It is also worth being clear about what we do not know. There is no UK data we can point to on how many clicks AI Overviews send or take away from a typical small business site. Anyone quoting a precise UK figure today is guessing.
What we would do before 3 December
Save a baseline now
If the Generative AI report appears in your Search Console, export the impressions by page and date today. When click data arrives, you will want something to compare it with. If you cannot see the report, that is useful to know too, as access may be uneven while Google rolls it out.
Check your Performance report after 3 December
The CMA says the data should come through a commonly accessible platform, “such as Google Search Console”, but Google may meet the requirement another way. Look for new filters or reports, and do not expect them overnight.
Think twice before opting out
Google has been testing a Search Console control for UK site owners that stops a domain appearing in AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google says opted-out sites “will not receive traffic or impressions from our generative AI features”, and that the choice is not used as a ranking signal elsewhere. In June it was available to a subset of UK site owners, and we have not confirmed that every site has it now.
Switching it off without click data means choosing blind. Our view is to wait for the numbers, then decide.
Keep working on being the answer
Whatever the data shows, clear and specific pages still matter. Our recent look at where AI tools get their citations and at ads coming to AI Mode in the UK both point the same way: be easy to find, easy to understand and described accurately in more than one place.
Key dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 3 June 2026 | CMA imposes the publisher conduct requirement |
| 2 November 2026 | Google says it has nothing to announce on extra AI data |
| 3 December 2026 | AI engagement metrics due, as reported by Search Engine Journal |
| 3 January 2027 | Google’s first compliance report due |
| Around March 2027 | Page-level AI controls due |
Sources: Search Engine Journal, 2 November 2026; PPC Land, 3 June 2026.
Conclusion
Google AI Overviews are changing how UK customers find businesses, and for now the numbers that would show the effect on your site do not exist in Search Console. A regulator-set date of 3 December may change that, but Google has not said how. Until then, save your baseline, avoid hasty opt-outs, and judge the impact on enquiries and sales rather than on clicks alone.
FAQ
Can I see clicks from Google AI Overviews in Search Console?
Not separately. Search Engine Journal reports that clicks from AI Overviews and AI Mode are counted within the standard Performance report, and the Generative AI report shows impressions only.
What is the 3 December deadline?
It is the date by which, as reported by Search Engine Journal, the CMA expects Google to give publishers engagement data such as impressions, clicks and click-through rate for its AI search features.
Should my business opt out of AI Overviews?
We would not rush. Google says opted-out sites receive no traffic or impressions from its generative AI features, and without click data you cannot weigh the cost. Wait for the numbers first.
Is this only about news publishers?
The debate has centred on them, but the CMA’s decision paper describes publishers as all parties that make content available on the web. We have not seen the final wording, so treat it as likely rather than certain.
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