For the first time, Google gives you a direct count of how often your pages appear inside its AI answers, so being found there is something you can measure rather than guess.
What changed
In June 2026, Google introduced a dedicated AI performance report in Search Console on its Search Central Blog. It gives site owners a standalone view of how their site performs inside Google's generative AI search features, reported separately from the usual blue-link Performance report. The report covers two surfaces: AI Overviews (the summarised answer at the top of results) and AI Mode (Google's conversational search).
The Search Console Help documentation sets out exactly what the report shows. It counts impressions only, meaning how many times links to your site were shown to someone inside a generative AI feature. There are no clicks, no click-through rate, and no query data in this report. You can group those impressions by page, country, device (desktop, tablet or mobile), and date.
Two points of caution on availability. Google is rolling this out gradually, and its Help page states plainly that the report is going to a subset of website owners, so it is not yet in every property. Separately, industry coverage reports an initial rollout from 3 June 2026, wider access from 23 June, and report data starting 18 May 2026 with no back-fill. Those specific dates come from third-party reporting rather than Google, so treat them as reported, not confirmed.
What it means for you
Until now, working out whether your firm turned up in an AI answer meant inferring it from blended numbers or leaning on outside estimates. This report replaces the guesswork with a figure Google owns. If a partner asks whether the firm shows up when a prospect asks an AI a question, you now have a real answer to point to.
Keep the limits in mind so the number is read correctly. It measures visibility, not demand: you can see that you were shown, not that anyone clicked through or enquired. Impressions are a presence signal, best read as a trend over weeks rather than a single figure. If the report is not in your property yet, that is expected during a staged rollout, and there is nothing to fix. The practical move is to start watching the trend once you have access, and to treat a rising impression count as evidence that your pages are earning a place in AI answers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to do anything to switch this on?
No. It appears in Search Console automatically as Google rolls it out. It is reaching a subset of properties first, so if you cannot see it yet, that is the staged rollout, not a setup problem on your side.
What does the report actually measure?
Impressions only: how often links to your site were shown inside Google's AI answers, across AI Overviews and AI Mode. You can break that down by page, country, device and date. It does not report clicks, click-through rate, or the queries people typed.
Does this tell me whether people clicked or enquired?
No. It shows that your pages were surfaced, not that anyone clicked or got in touch. Read it as a visibility trend over time, and pair it with your normal enquiry and Performance data to understand what that visibility is worth.
Is this the same as my existing Search Console numbers?
No. It sits alongside the standard Performance report and counts AI-answer impressions separately, so it does not change or replace your existing search figures.
When did this launch, and is it fully available?
Google announced it in June 2026 and confirms it is rolling out to a subset of owners first, so availability is still expanding. More specific rollout and data-start dates have appeared in industry coverage but have not been confirmed by Google.
