Gemini Search AI Controls: A New Standard for Publishers

As AI Overviews become the dominant way users search, publishers have raised valid concerns about traffic and attribution. Google has responded with a new suite of Website Controls for Search AI, aiming to strike a balance between AI utility and content creator rights.

New Publisher Controls

Google is introducing granular controls in Search Console that allow webmasters to:

• Opt-out of AI Training: Specifically prevent content from being used to train future Gemini models.
• Snippet Control: Decide exactly how much text can be displayed in an AI Overview (e.g., "Max 50 words").
• "Google-Extended" Updates: Refined robots.txt directives that separate AI scraping from standard search indexing.

The "Zero-Click" Future

This move acknowledges the shift toward a "zero-click" search environment, where users get answers directly on the results page. By giving publishers more control, Google hopes to maintain the delicate ecosystem of the open web while aggressively pushing its AI-first agenda.