Google will have to give publishers a way to keep their sites out of its generative AI search products in the United Kingdom, after regulators set new rules aimed at giving publishers more control over how their content is used.
The change marks one of the clearest signs yet that governments are beginning to shape how large search platforms can use web content in AI features. Google said Wednesday it is complying with the UK requirements and will begin testing the new option with a limited group of publishers before expanding it more broadly.
Under the new setup, publishers will be able to use a toggle inside Google Search Console, the company’s free webmaster tool, to opt out of having their content included in AI-based search experiences. That includes products such as AI Overviews, AI Mode, and AI Overviews in Discover.
Google said the opt-out will apply to its generative AI search features, but not to traditional search rankings. In other words, a publisher that chooses to exclude its content from AI responses will not be penalized in Google’s standard search results.
The company also said it plans to show more information in Search Console about how publisher pages appear in AI responses. Those metrics will include impressions and details about which pages are surfacing, along with the countries where they appear. Google said it intends to add more reporting over time.
At the same time, Google emphasized that it has already been making changes designed to drive traffic to publishers. The company pointed to the addition of more inline links in AI responses and website previews that are meant to encourage users to click through to original sources.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has been pushing Google to give publishers more say over the use of their material in AI products. The regulator described the move as a first-of-its-kind measure and argued that it strengthens publishers, including news organizations, in negotiations over content deals with Google.
The CMA first designated Google as holding strategic market status last October, a finding that opened the door to further oversight. In January, the regulator proposed that publishers should have a choice over whether their material is used in AI search features or in training separate AI models.
The new requirement follows growing concern from media companies about how AI systems summarize and repurpose journalism and other web content. Publishers have argued that they need clearer controls and better compensation as search interfaces evolve from lists of links into AI-generated answers.
Google said it will initially test the opt-out feature with a select group of UK publishers. If the test goes smoothly, the company expects to make the option available more widely, including in other markets.
The CMA said the policy gives publishers more control over how their content is used and could improve their leverage in commercial discussions with Google. While the opt-out does not affect ranking in ordinary search, it gives publishers a direct lever to block participation in some of Google’s most visible AI features.
For Google, the change is another example of how regulators are pressing major tech firms to make AI products more transparent and more accountable to content creators. For publishers, it offers a new choice at a time when AI search is becoming a bigger part of how people find information online.